Whether it be via being added to thePS Plus extended catalogor simply being given away to fans as part of the monthly Essential game drops, there are a number of games that have really benefited from featuring on the PS Plus platform.
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Whencompeting against AAA juggernauts,it can be pretty hard to get the spotlight to shine on your game for long enough to convince potential players to buy.
But, if they can get the game for the mere cost of their PS Plus subscriptions, which most will be paying for regardless. Well, that’s a gamechanger.
These games leveraged this service, using it as a springboard to elevate the profile of their games and achieve success that they likely would not have attained had they not taken a chance.
For clarity, we aren’t just including games that were monumental success stories. We will include games that achieved more relative to what they would have without the help of PS Plus.
10Maneater
Is That The Jaws Music I Hear?
The idea of playing as a Megaladon shark in a cheesy B-movie flick, causing chaos, sounds like an irresistible video game concept. However, due to middling reviews and reported repetitive gameplay, Maneater struggled to find its audience initially.
It only sold about 50,000 units in its first month, but when it was featured as a PS Plus free game, it was effectively the rocket it needed to become a bit of a cult classic, as all B-movie flicks worth their salt tend to do.
But, to its credit, along with the silliness that is liberally peppered into the experience, the game also offers a fun story, cathartic combat, and a steady sense of progression in an open-world setting.
Plus, it’s one of the shorter games in the genre,only running about 10-15 hours. So, if you want an open world that you can see off quickly, this is the one for you.
9Death Note: Killer Within
Anyone Have A Pen?
Death Note Killer Within
Games like Among Us and Goose, Goose, Duck have shown that even after the time spent locked away during 2020, there is still a place in the gaming industry for multiplayer social deduction games, and when you add a successful anime like Death Note into the equation, you have the recipe for something special.
It’s a game where mastering your role is key, and hiding your true motives and intentions will earn you the victory. So, essentially, if you’re a sneaky, conniving, menacing sort, this will be right up your alley.
I’ll grant you, this isn’t the most polished game in the world. However, it’s a fun one to play with friends, and thanks to the platform that PS Plus provided, players jumped in to see what this game had to offer and had a blast doing so.
8Never Alone
Wrap Up Warm
Never Alone
I think it would be pushing it to say that Never Alone was a monumental success because of PS Plus, because the game is very much a deep cut. However, PS Plus certainly got a lot more eyes on this incredible game than there would have been otherwise.
This game is a narrative masterclass told through the medium of a side-scrolling platformer, telling a tale of the Inupiat people and offering an insight into the myths and legends featured within their culture, as well as the harsh conditions they see as just another day in their lives.
This game won a wealth of awards, and was seen as a bit of an art-house game, but that never really translated into commercial success. So, for PS Plus to spotlight this one was great to see, and has allowed many players to enjoy what this emotional side-scroller has to offer.
7Grow Home
For All You Green Thumbs
If there was ever a game that had no place being as popular as it was, it was Grow Home. That’s not to say that it’s a bad game, because in truth, it’s a rather relaxing and cathartic title. But, without the caveat of it being a free PS Plus game, it would have been destined to go under the radar.
Ragging on the game aside, I’m glad I didn’t, as the game feels like a brilliant tech demo that offers some of the most unique and involved free-climbing mechanics you can imagine.
It’s sort of like the refined climbing of Jusant paired with the stakes and potential frustration of something like Only Up. Plus, it has a cute little robot mascot and a nice narrative message that it pushes.
So, while it’s not all that in terms of narrative, it’s a novel title, and one that PS Plus certainly helped become a recognizable name, rather than indie game fodder.
Bunger, Bunger, Bunger!
Next up is a game that effectively found success by default, as Bugsnax was the first free PS Plus game of the PS5 generation, and when everyone was done playing through the glorified tech demo that was Astro’s Playroom, we all needed something to play.
Bugsnax was just about the only thing on offer outside of Demon’s Souls anda few lackluster launch games, so people took a chance on this little indie, and much to their surprise, Bugsnax delivered.
It offered an experience that felt like a more involved version of Pokémon, asking you to capture Bugsnax around the island, and uncover the secrets of the area and the strange creatures that inhabit it.
It has a surprisingly dark story the deeper you dig, but don’t let that deter you, as this is a cozy classic, and one that definitely has a lot to thank PS Plus for.
Retro Meets Modern
Just as Bugsnax was the game that ushered in the PS5 era for the service, Resogun was the game that captured the attention of the masses as PS Plus transitioned from PS3 to PS4.
They needed something that was addictive, well-designed, and offered an immediate fun factor, and Housemarque was all too willing to oblige, providing a modern take on Space Invadersthat is a bullet-hell masterclass.
It’s simple to pick up, as all you need to do is shoot relentlessly and avoid all the projectiles on screen as you go, but what is simple in principle is pretty damn hard in practice, as it turns out.
But, thanks to the addictive quality the game has, and the visual spectacle that every stage is, you won’t mind cutting your teeth here to hone your craft as a bullet-hell master in waiting.
4Concrete Genie
My Hometown’s A Dump, But It’s My Dump
Concrete Genie
While I do believe that Concrete Genie would have been a hit with thecozy game communityregardless, it’s fair to say that its spot in the PS Plus monthly line-up put this one on the map.
This game tells a heartfelt story featuring a young boy with artistic flair who can use a magic paintbrush to bring his creations to life, and using this otherworldly artistic skill, he intends to rescue his beloved coastal hometown from the doldrums.
However, he’ll need to overcome the bullies and delinquents in the town who would rather it stay a seedy place.
The motion controls for the brush are a little finicky to say the least, but if you may overlook that, what you’ll get in return is a gorgeous game, with a moving story, and plenty of unique mechanics to keep things fresh throughout.
Plus, the little genies are so damn cute that they justify playing this game alone.
3Life Is Strange
Small Town Drama
Life is Strange
There are a handful of game types that are harder to get off the ground than others, but I will stick my neck out here and say that an episodic game is right up there with the hardest sells to potential players.
However, the decision to add Life Is Strange to the PS Plus monthly lineup proved to be a stroke of genius by Don’t Nod, as this effectively put the choice-driven, narrative-driven, small-town epic on the map and has been the catalyst for many spin-offs and sequels since.
It was a real lightning in a bottle moment as it landed right in the mid-2010s boom of games with a butterfly effect choice system, and I would say that the original Life Is Strange is easily one of the best of the bunch.
Sadly, the series has never quite hit those highs again, but you can’t deny that this decision is perhaps the reason why so many of us know what Life is Strange is at all.
2Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Wacky Little Tic-Tacs
While this one did prove to be a little bit of a flash in the pan, you can’t deny that Fall Guys burned brighter than most live service games out there for a hot minute. Something that occurred primarily due to PS Plus.
This paid title was given away as an essential title, allowing players to jump into the Japanese game show adjacent chaos that the title has to offer, and thanks to the format, where just about anyone can win through sheer luck, it proved to be a hit.
Thanks to the ice-cream, bubblegum aesthetic, and the wealth of wacky game modes that ensured that no one session felt the same as the next, it attracted hundreds of thousands to its servers.
Sadly, due to Mediatonic layoffs, the game’s popularity declined due to cheaters, and the developers' inability to keep the content fresh, it no longer has the same appeal it once did. But, for a second, this was the hottest property in the world, and PS Plus was a huge factor in this.
1Rocket League
What A Save!
By a country mile, the biggest PS Plus success story has to be Rocket League, the game that combined traditional arcade racers and soccer to great effect, producing an Esports hit that still attracts the masses today.
It’s one of those games that is easy to pick up and play, but tricky to truly master, as the skill ceiling from bronze to Grand Champion is monumental, and as a former Diamond III player, I know that better than most.
It’s a hybrid game that is devilishly addictive and will have you mouthing ‘One more game’ into the wee hours of the night.
It’s a game that looks a little different today, as it now exists as a free-to-play title owned by Epic Games, but the core gameplay that made Rocket League a rocket still exists. So, if you somehow missed this cultural phenomenon, grab some boost and zoom over to play this one.
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