There are several ways to save money when purchasing games. A great way to pick games up on the cheap is to purchase them used. Several video game retailers and even some video movie rental stores sell used games. Make sure the games are guaranteed to work and check the discs for scratches before leaving the store. Some retail stores even offer a one-week return policy. This allows you to try out the game for a few days and then return it if the kids or you don’t enjoy it. You can’t do that with a new game. Use games will usually save you at least $5-$10 off the price of a new recently released games. If the game has been out for a while, you can often pick up a used game for $20 or less.

I recently purchased The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Capsian. I was renting a movie and happened to see it on a sale rack. It was only $9. Since it offered co-op play for 2 players, I picked it up. I knew a Disney game would not be too violent and I was in the mood for some swordplay combat which I could enjoy with my kids. Our family loves playing the game. Though only two can play at a time, we pair up to play as the others watch. Once we complete one level, the next pair play through the level. Since we like the movie on which this game is based, we get even more fun out of playing and then watching the movie again. What is cool about this game is that the first level is a prequel to the movie, setting up how the Telmarines conquered Narnia.

In addition to purchasing games used, look for games on sale. Sometimes you can save $5-$10 on newly released games during weekly sales. Other special offers may include bonus items in lieu of a discount such as an older version of a similar game or something else. It pays to check the newspapers or the online weekly ads. Several large retailers will match the prices in their competitors ads, so if a good deal is not close by, take the ad to one of these retailers and ask them to match the price. You save time and gas money while you also save on the game. (Do this for new movies on DVD or Blu-Ray as well since many are on sale the first week they are released.)

Some of our families most played games have been arcade type games purchased on Xbox Live Marketplace. We love playing Age of Booty—a pirate themed board type game as well as Carcassonne—another board type game where you build cities. For a bit of side scrolling slashing, Castle Crashers lets four of us play at once. For $8-$15, you can download one of these types of games and spend hours playing together. The nice thing about these games is that you can download a demo before you buy so the family can try it out.

So Gamer Dads out there. The morale of this week’s blog entry is that the more you pay for a game does not guarantee the more entertainment you will get out of it. When it comes to playing as a family, I have discovered that the bargains I picked up used or downloaded are some of the games we play together the most.

Furthermore, bargain gaming as a family also allows you to save up your cash for the latest games for yourself!