Looking for a fun game to play with the family, but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Luckily, the PlayStation Store has loads of downloadable PlayStation 3 games. Many of them are fairly inexpensive, too. Here are six family-friendly picks, all priced at $20 or less.
1. Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10 and Up
Content Descriptor(s): Fantasy Violence
Publisher: Mojang
Price: $19.99
Minecraft is a great experience when you’re playing on your own. It lets you explore block-based worlds and create a home in the pixelated wilderness. Minecraft is even more fun with family or friends. The PlayStation 3 version enables group play.
If you have multiple controllers, each player can command a character. Everyone works to achieve the same goals. That might mean having each other’s back in the survival mode. Or you can use your combined speed and creativity to build elaborate structures in the creative mode. Whatever the case, an extra player or three is always appreciated.
2. MotorStorm RC
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptor(s): None
Publisher: Sony
Price: $4.99
MotorStorm RC trims down the scale of the popular off-road racing series MotorStorm without losing any of the fun. The MotorStorm games are glossy, semi-realistic driving experiences. This spin-off lets you and your family control RC cars in speedy, chaotic showdowns.
The little vehicles zip around winding courses, bounce off of each other, and vault over ramps. The game is designed for up to four players. Each gets a dedicated quarter of the screen. You can all have a blast at once. It’s silly, raucous racing fun.
3. Super Mega Baseball
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptor(s): Alcohol and Tobacco Reference
Publisher: MetalHead Software
Price: $19.99
Don’t have enough players together to head out to the neighborhood diamond for a game? No problem. Super Mega Baseball delivers a lighthearted baseball experience. It’s a nice break from the serious and stuffy sports simulations.
The teams are filled with cartoonish players—men and women alike. You play both sides of the ball. Pitching and batting are both easy to understand. It’s playable by individuals, but Super Mega Baseball is best enjoyed with family and friends. Up to four players (two per team) can grab a controller and duke it out.
4. Chariot
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptor(s): Mild Fantasy Violence
Publisher: Frima Studio
Price: $14.99
In Chariot you play as a princess and her fiancé. The characters have the unenviable task of guiding her father’s remains to their ultimate destination.
You guide the chariot over uneven platforms and around hazards. You push it, ride it, or pull it around with a rope. Can you figure out your way through each new blockade?
5. Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptor(s): Mild Suggestive Themes
Publisher: Sony
Price: $19.99
Sony’s Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational makes a serious sport much more fun. Because of its cartoonish action and cooperative play, the game is great choice for family game night.
You don’t need bulging biceps to drive a ball hundreds of yards. Nor do you need pinpoint accuracy to sink a putt. Hot Shots Golf’s action is super accessible. It relies on well-timed button presses to send the ball where you want it. World Invitational lets up to four players battle for the best score on the colorful courses. You can also use PlayStation Move motion controllers to act like you’re swinging at a real ball.
6. PixelJunk Monsters
ESRB Rating: E
Content Descriptor(s): Mild Fantasy Violence
Publisher: Sony
Price: $9.99
If you’re looking for a challenging, brain-teasing game you can play with one other family member, consider PixelJunk Monsters. It’s a game in the tower-defense genre. This means using limited resources to place defensive towers that help protect your base from waves of little cartoon monsters.
Despite the cute look of the game, it often requires serious strategy. Playing together lets you devise tactics as a team. You’ll need find the best spots to build your rock launchers and arrow flingers. There’s an incredible sense of satisfaction when you finish a tough stage together.
