Humble: Discounts and Charity

Humble%3A+Discounts+and+Charity

Michael Aeschbacher, Co-Editor

If you play PC games, chances are you’re doing it through Steam. And if you use Steam, chances are you’ve been spoiled by the glut of discounts the service offers, especially the seasonal sales. But if you’re still on the lookout for good deals, then there’s a great second resource available to you: Humble.

Since the website’s inception in 2010, Humble has been a fantastic place to get games for cheap. Their services are broken up into three categories: Bundles, Monthly, and the Storefront.

Humble Bundles are what the company was built upon. Originally they were limited to games, but the site has expanded its reach to include Bundles based on software, books, and even Bob Ross (that wasn’t a joke). Humble regularly puts up new Bundles, each packed with a collection of digital goods from various providers. But be warned: Bundles only last for a limited time, so grab them while you can. Each Bundle groups its items into three price tiers, and a pay-what-you-want system gives users flexibility (you can always grab the lowest tier for just $1). From my own experience with Humble Bundles, I was able to snag Vegas Pro 14 (a fantastic video editor) for just $20. How much would it normally cost? Upwards of $400.

Then there’s also the Humble Monthly, which focuses solely on games. This service is essentially a month-long Humble Bundle that costs one flat rate of about $12. The games on offer range from entries in established “triple-A” franchises (Civilization, Dark Souls, Tomb Raider) to acclaimed indie titles (Superhot, Undertale, Owlboy). The monthly collections also include exclusive “Humble Originals,” which tend to be more unique and experimental games. Considering most retail games cost $60 at full price, $12 is already a steal for just one game. But with Humble Monthly, the combined value of the games you receive is usually around $100-$200. Along with the Bundles, it’s well worth your time to check out each new Humble Monthly collection.

Finally, there’s the Humble Store. This is the simplest service of the bunch; it’s a digital storefront for games that works very similarly to Steam’s own store page. The beauty here is that the Humble Store offers its own discounts and sales, saving you money on anything from racing games to the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Shoot, Humble will occasionally offer up a free game if you’re closely paying attention.

And I haven’t even mentioned the charity aspect yet. Yes, supporting charity has always been a key part of Humble. They may not be nonprofit, but they’ve raised a collective $124 million for charities regardless. Whenever you make a purchase from Humble, a part of the proceeds will go to supporting organizations such as Make-A-Wish, the American Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders. It’s definitely something nice to think about while you reap the rewards of low, low prices.

Overall, Humble is a fantastic service that I’d highly recommend to anyone. For PC gamers, it’s a great way to add some quality titles to your collection for dirt cheap. Even if you don’t play games, there’s a little something for everyone in the non-gaming Bundles. You can click on this link to go straight to their website. Give them a look every once in awhile; you never know what you might find.