Are 'Plus' Editions Worth It? Best Free & Cheap Plus Games

"Plus" editions promise more game for a little more money, but the gap between a genuine upgrade and a lazy re-release is wide. This guide answers the only question that matters before you buy: is the Plus version worth it, or should you stick with the base game (or skip it entirely)? Below you get the quick winners, a full comparison table, and honest notes on which "Plus" releases actually earn the badge.

Last updated: June 29, 2026. Prices checked: June 2026. Sources: Steam, Epic, publisher pages and partner stores. We refresh prices and sale notes regularly.

Best picks at a glance

• Best free-to-try, then buy: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (the original is free, the Plus adds new side stories and art).
• Best cheap (under $5): Hexcells Plus, a clean logic puzzler.
• Best premium (deep and long): Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition.
• Best for 2 players: Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.
• Best couch versus: Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel.
• Best for up to 4 local: N++ (NPLUSPLUS).
• Best sim and strategy: Capitalism Plus.
• Best cross-platform: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!.
• Best quirky comeback: Constructor Plus.

Quick list

Story and RPG "Plus" picks

These are the games where "Plus" usually means real extra content, not a coat of paint.

• Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition is the easy headliner. It is a dense isometric CRPG with party building, branching choices and a full kingdom to run. The Enhanced Plus update reworked balance and added content, and it landed as a free upgrade for owners. If you like long, reactive role-playing, this is one of the best value buys on the list, especially during a sale. See more in our RPG hub.
• Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a psychological story game that starts as a cute visual novel and goes somewhere very different. The original is free, so the honest question is whether the Plus is worth it. For most people the answer is yes if you want the new side stories, unlockable art and a tidier console-friendly build. If you only want the core experience, the free version still delivers it. We file the dark turn under our horror picks.
• The Atelier Plus trilogy (Rorona, Totori and Meruru) gives you cozy alchemy-driven JRPGs with light combat and a relaxed loop. They are charming, but they live on older PlayStation hardware, so availability is the catch.

Puzzle and arcade "Plus" picks

• Hexcells Plus is the value champion of the whole list. It is pure logic deduction with a calm, minimalist presentation and zero filler. At around three dollars it is an instant yes for puzzle fans, and it pairs nicely with its sequels for a full evening of brain work. More like it in our indie hub.
• Lumines Plus is a hypnotic music and block puzzler. If you remember the original and want that flow-state loop, it holds up well.
• Tetris Plus adds a puzzle-rescue mode on top of standard play. It is a retro curiosity rather than the definitive Tetris, so buy it for nostalgia, not as your main falling-block fix.

Sim and strategy "Plus" picks

• Capitalism Plus is still one of the most detailed business simulators ever made. You build supply chains, factories, retail and marketing, and the systems run deep enough to reward weeks of play. The interface shows its age, but at around six dollars the depth-per-dollar is excellent.
• Constructor Plus is a remaster of the cult city-and-mafia management game. It is funny, fiddly and a little rough in places, but no other sim has quite the same tone. Buy it if you want personality over polish.

Fighting and versus: best "Plus" games for 2 players

This is where "Plus" games get social. Both of these support local and online versus.

• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R is a revered 2D fighter with a deep, expressive system. It is fantastic for a focused 1-2 player rivalry, and the netcode plus offline practice make it easy to keep coming back. For sheer staying power among the list, this is the pick.
• Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is a crossover fighter with a fast, flashy feel. The roster is the draw, and it makes a great couch matchup for two. It is a touch more casual than Guilty Gear, which suits mixed-skill groups.

Best for couch and up to 4 local

• N++ (NPLUSPLUS) is the most flexible group option here. It is a precise momentum platformer with thousands of levels, leaderboards, and crucially local co-op and race modes for up to four players. Solo it is a tight time-trial machine; with friends on a couch it turns into a laughing, screaming party of near-misses.
• Strikers 1945 Plus supports two-player co-op for old-school shoot-em-up fans. It is arcade-pure and unforgiving, so bring a patient partner.

A quick honesty note: "Plus" games skew heavily single-player, so there is no real 5+ or big-party option on this list. If you need a true crowd game, our full catalog is the better place to browse.

Best cross-platform

If you and a friend are on different hardware, your options narrow.

• Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is the most widely available pick, covering PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, so anyone can play the same story on whatever they own.
• Constructor Plus also spans PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, which makes it the easiest sim here to recommend regardless of platform.
• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R covers PC, PlayStation and Switch, handy if your fighting buddy is on a different box.

Want to play these on the go? Check the Steam Deck compatibility list before you buy, since the lighter puzzle and 2D titles tend to run beautifully on handheld.

Honourable / adjacent picks

These loosely fit the "Plus" theme but should not be your first buy.

• Gensei Suikoden Plus is a niche retro action title. It is a collector and curiosity pick, not a mainstream recommendation, so go in knowing it is rough and obscure.
• Fire Arrow Plus is a very small indie shooter. It earns a mention for the name and the low price, but the scope is tiny, so treat it as a coffee-break experiment.
• The Atelier Plus trilogy is genuinely good, but it sits on older PlayStation hardware, which makes a clean modern purchase awkward. It is here for completeness, not for convenience.

FAQ

Are "Plus" editions usually worth it over the base game? It depends on what the Plus adds. When it bundles real extra content (new stories, modes, balance overhauls) like Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! or Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition, it is usually worth it. When the extras are cosmetic and the base game is free or a couple of dollars, the upgrade is harder to justify.

Is Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! worth it if I played the free version? If you only wanted the core story, the free original already gave you that. The Plus is worth it when you want the new side stories, extra music and art gallery, plus a console release. Think of it as a deluxe re-buy, not a required one.

What is the cheapest "Plus" game actually worth buying? Hexcells Plus at around three dollars is the standout value. It is short, clean and respects your time, and there is no padding to dilute it.

Which "Plus" games work for two players? Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R and Nitroplus Blasterz are the fighting picks for 1-2 players, while N++ stretches to 1-4 with local co-op and racing.

Do these run on Steam Deck? Many of the lighter PC titles, especially the puzzle and 2D games, run well on handheld. Always confirm on our Steam Deck list before buying, since verification status changes over time.

Where do I find the best price on "Plus" games? Prices shift between Steam, GOG, Epic and partner stores like Eneba and Kinguin. Compare them on the individual game pages, and watch our deals page and the next Steam sale tracker for the deepest cuts.

Is the Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanced Plus upgrade free? The Enhanced Plus content arrived as a free update for existing owners on PC, so you are mostly paying for the base game when you buy it now. That is part of why it is such strong value on sale.

Do the Atelier "Plus" versions still hold up? The gameplay loop holds up fine if you enjoy cozy crafting JRPGs. The catch is platform availability, since they live on older PlayStation hardware, so buying a clean copy can be the hardest part.

The verdict

"Plus" is a label, not a promise, so judge each game on what it actually adds. For story, start with Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!; for puzzles, grab Hexcells Plus; for a long campaign, take Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition on sale. When you have your shortlist, compare live prices across stores on our full catalog, keep an eye on the deals page, and check the giveaways in case one of these turns up free.

Alex, Scout Team