AU Deals: New Year, Same Problem, Too Many Great Games On Sale and These Are the Must Buys
SOURCE:IGN|BY:Adam Mathew
While everyone else is arguing over fireworks playlists and sparkling wine, I am quietly locking in deals I will absolutely be playing into January.
3...2...1...happy new discounts.
Updated:
Dec 30, 2025 11:41 pm
I always like to think New Year’s Eve is for reflection, but in practice it is also when my willpower collapses and my wishlist wins. While everyone else is arguing over fireworks positions and sparkling wine, I am quietly locking in deals I will absolutely be playing into January. This batch feels like a proper end of year send off, stacked with games that reward long nights and bad sleep decisions.
In retro news, I'm using this fire flower to ignite a 30-candle cake baked for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a SNES must-own. If it were any other series, Yoshi’s Island would just be a long-forgotten spin-off. But since this is Nintendo we’re talking about, this SNES game made a much bigger impact on the wider Mario universe, with the features Yoshi’s Island introduced still influencing Nintendo games of today.
I can remember being thoroughly delighted with Yoshi's moveset expanding him from being a simple steed to a flutter-jumping, ground-pounding, and egg-chucking hero in his own right. Likewise, the shift from obstacle course platforming to collectathon progression was right up my kleptomanic alley. Throw in a bold crayon-based art style, and I was coloured Tickled Pink with the entire package.
On Switch, these picks balance absurd value with games that feel perfectly at home in handheld mode, whether you are planning ten minutes on the couch or three hours you did not schedule.[
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (-90%) - A$7.90 A shockingly good tactics sequel that smooths out the combat, adds real freedom, and proves the Rabbids can behave when Miyamoto is watching.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Rem. (-83%) - A$10.10 Criterion’s high speed classic with Autolog still doing half the trash talking for you.
It Takes Two (-50%) - A$29.90 A co-op masterclass that constantly reinvents itself and absolutely refuses to let you play alone.
Burnout Paradise Rem. (-83%) - A$6.70 Open world crashing at its peak, with takedowns that still feel illegally satisfying.
Unravel Two (-70%) - A$8.90 Gentle platforming built around cooperation, whether that second Yarny is a friend or your own stubborn hands.
Gris (-82%) - A$4.20 A wordless, watercolour journey through grief that still lands emotionally every single time.
Metaphor: Refantazio (-50%) - A$57.40 Atlus finally cuts loose from Persona’s school gates and builds a lavish fantasy RPG with politics, time pressure, and absurdly stylish menus.
It Takes Two (-80%) - A$11.90 One of the best co-op games ever made, built entirely around communication and shared problem solving.
Triangle Strategy (-60%) - A$36.30 A tactics RPG obsessed with consequences, branching politics, and hard choices that actually stick.
Red Dead Redemption II (-75%) - A$22.40 Still Rockstar’s most detailed world, right down to horse behaviour and campfire conversations you will miss if you rush.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Rem. (-50%) - A$22.40 A respectful polish of a cult shooter that laid groundwork for Jedi Knight long before lightsabers stole the show.
What's Big on the Radar?
Headed out the door quick
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes onYouTube.
