You can never really tell what’s going to gain value as the years go on when it comes to things like cards, toys, and games. It’s kind of hard to predict, as much of what makes something valuable depends on a variety of factors. Popularity, availability, reputation and so many other things can play a part in something being sought after vs. it being forgotten to time. Still being a relatively young industry, we’ve seen some old video games skyrocket in value recently. The lucky few who manage to sell those for a huge profit years later weren’t necessarily banking on these games to pick up value throughout their adulthood. But can we –having seen this before– predict which modern, or at least relatively modern, games will be worth something in the future?
As previously stated, there’s a lot to consider when talking about something taking on value over the years instead of losing it. You can guess all you want but it’s really up in the air as far as how things play out. Niche titles are something you might want to pay attention to. As are limited printings and popular games that seem like they might leave behind a mark on the industry. Collecting special, collector’s or limited editions is another way to go, as keeping those intact may pay off for you years from now.
Let’s take a look then at 25 video games people should collect ASAP (before their value skyrockets).
24 BioShock Xbox 360 Limited Edition - $200
BioShock certainly left a mark on the gaming community following its release in 2007. The game was well received, and spawned a couple of sequels as well. Add in its connection to the System Shock series and you’ve got quite the legacy building up.
The Xbox 360 Limited Collector’s Edition is notable due to the Big Daddy figure it comes with. That, along with the nice packaging makes it worth picking up for collectors wanting to invest in something that will probably gain some value over the years.
23 Dragon Ball FighterZ Collector's Edition - $175
Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the most well-received Dragon Ball games since the Budokai 3 and Budokai Tenkaichi days. It has a pretty strong pro scene and stands as one of the most well-received games to come out this year.
Any collectors interested in the game would do good to snag a copy of the Collector’s Edition. The Collector’s Edition comes with some art cards, a steelbook, and a massive collector’s box. But the main selling point here is the beautifully crafted SSJ Goku statue. The statue alone could be worth more than the entire Collector’s Edition in a few years time.
22 White Day: A Labyrinth Named School - $25
Ever since Resident Evil and Silent Hill made their way from overseas, there’s been a pretty consistent market for Japanese survival horror games. But we haven’t really seen all that many Korean survival horror games come over to the West. That’s just one of the things that make White Day: A Labyrinth Named School stand out.
A remake of the 2001 game of the same name, White Day initially came out on Android and IOS devices before receiving a PC and PlayStation port. It wasn’t the best-received game, but tracking down a physical copy could pay off at one point.
21 Catherine: Love Is Over Deluxe Edition - $270
Brought to us by the same people behind the Persona series, Catherine is an incredible platformer that mixes in some serious moral quandaries with an often outlandish setting. The game is notable for its challenging difficulty and mature themes.
Fans of the game will know that a remastered version will be releasing for the PS4 and Vita next year – though it is still unknown how Sony’s recent rampant censorship will affect the final product. If things do turn for the worst, having a copy of the Love Is Over Deluxe Edition might very well pay off given all the extra goodies it comes with.
20 Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition PS4 - $129
Depending on who you ask, Fallout 4 was either a solid entry in the series or a complete disappointment. The game isn’t necessarily an instant classic, and probably won’t be something we look back at in ten years as anything very special. But it’s still worthy of a place in your library – if only for its special edition.
The Pip-Boy Edition of the game comes with – as you might’ve guessed from the name – a wearable replica Pip-Boy compatible with smartphone’s which can be used as a second screen. It’s a little gimmicky, but still cool nonetheless.
19 MY HERO One’s Justice - $60
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime and manga series out there right now in both the East and West. If it can enjoy the same kind of long-standing popularity other Shounen Jump series have enjoyed, then the recently released One’s Justice could end up being quite the collector’s item.
It’s just the second game based on the manga that first came out in 2014, and the first one to make its way overseas. If we see more games in the future, this one could really stand out with fans.
18 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Master Edition - $367
The Nintendo Switch had a successful launch, and a lot of that had to do with Breath of the Wild being one of its launch titles. BotW is one of the most well-received Zelda games in recent memory, and will likely remain as one of the more popular entries in the series.
The price of the Master Edition has skyrocketed since it released.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the series, you’ll want to get your hands on a copy of the Master Edition. Complete with a 24 song soundtrack, Calamity Ganon tapestry, Master Sword statue and Sheikah Slate Carrying Case among other things, some of the trinkets inside might end up being worth more than the game itself.
17 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Limited Edition - $140
The Danganronpa series has become one of the more notable niche franchises to make its way from Japan. It’s spawned three mainline titles, a couple of spin-off games and a couple of anime adaptations as well. With a franchise this big, any collector would be smart to go for the game that started it all.
Picking up a copy of Trigger Happy Havoc could pay off in the future, but people interested in stashing this gem might want to go the extra mile and get the already rare limited edition. It’ll probably be worth more should the game be in demand years from now.
16 Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! + Poké Ball Plus Pack - $100
The Pokémon franchise has been around for over twenty years now, and has given us many popular games, anime, and films all revolving around the simple concept of catching ‘em all. You wouldn’t think that the latest release in a franchise that’s been around for two decades would be worth anything in the future, but these just might be.
The Let’s Go! games focus on one of the most romanticized Pokémon generations ever – Gen I. They’ll also be the first Pokémon games on the Switch. It could potentially be a big deal for collectors down the road.
15 Red Dead Redemption 2 Collector's Box - $130
The follow-up to Rockstar’s incredibly popular Red Dead Redemption, RDR2 was met with a ton of praise following its release last month and people are still singing its praises. The game is already being called a masterpiece by some, and while it might be a little too early to say that, it certainly has left a mark on the gaming community.
Red Dead Redemption 2 will certainly be remembered as one of the best games the eighth generation of consoles had to offer.
The game’s collector’s box comes in some pretty nice packaging along with a whole bunch of cool trinkets. There’s everything from a treasure map, a puzzle, pins, playing cards, and even a bandanna to make you feel like a real outlaw.
14 Outlast: Murkoff Briefcase Edition - $100
If you haven’t heard of them, Limited Run Games publish physical versions of digital-only titles on consoles. They’ve brought over some pretty interesting products that we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten physically and as the name suggests, supply is limited.
Their release of the Outlast: Murkoff Briefcase Edition not only comes with both Outlast games, but an impressive collectible box, a soundtrack and a comic series as well. This will be in short supply so anyone able to get their hands on it might profit greatly in the future.
13 Nier: Automata - Black Box Collector's Edition - $622
Well, talk about something that’s had its value skyrocket in a short amount of time. Nier: Automata was a sleeper hit not many saw coming back in 2017. The game’s popularity has only increased since its release.
Buying a copy of the Black Box Collector’s Edition will cost you regardless of whether or not you’re getting it in mint condition.
The game’s collector’s edition sold out pretty quickly, which is a good sign that it’ll continue to accumulate value as the years go by. It might seem like a steep price to pay, but think about how much more it’ll be worth in say 5-10 years.
12 Persona 5 "Take Your Heart" Premium Edition - $250
After several delays both in Japan and the West, Persona 5 finally released to a chorus of praise. One of the most anticipated releases of that year, P5 attracted both series veterans and newcomers alike. The game is chock-full of content and offers a ton of replayability and stands as one of the best JRPG experiences in recent memory.
An intact collector’s edition could be worth a pretty penny in the near future.
Persona 5’s “Take Your Heart” edition isn’t the most packed we’ve seen on this list, but comes in some beautiful packaging and includes a replica school bag that might actually be worth something on its own down the line.
11 Undertale Collector’s Edition - $70
Undertale has become an indie game darling in the gaming community, as it’s amassed a huge following and popularity no one really saw coming. It might very well be one of the most notable games of our time in terms of the popularity it has gained.
There’s nothing to suggest that people’s fondness for this game will go away anytime soon.
What could potentially make this game valuable is the fact that not many people own a physical copy of it. At the peak of its popularity, Undertale was a digital only game. Holding on to a copy of this beautiful-looking collector’s edition might pay off pretty well.
10 Haunting Ground - $212
When it first released for the PS2 over thirteen years ago, Haunting Ground was met with mixed reception by critics. But the game left behind quite the legacy regardless. Considered a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series, the game is also notable for being co-written by Noboru Sugimura – notable for his writing for the Resident Evil and Omishura games.
Sugimura sadly passed away just a couple of months prior to the game’s Japanese release.
Haunting Ground is a PlayStation exclusive and is already one of the more expensive gen 6 console games out there. While it might seem like it’s fairly pricey right now, the game could very well be worth much more in the future.
9 Grim Fandango PS4 - $30
Grim Fandango is a cult classic game that some say is one of the best video games ever made. It’s made its way to a number of different platforms over the years and still enjoys a good amount of popularity. So why not pick up its physical release while you have the chance?
A fairly cheap game like this could be worth something down the line given its prominence.
This 20th Anniversary Edition doesn’t offer much in terms of trinkets, and that’s fine. The only thing you need from it is the game which is relatively inexpensive. It probably won’t be worth Earthbound money, but there’ll definitely be a market for it among hardcore fans that missed the boat.
8 Punchline PS Vita - $55
There are a few things to note about 5pb.’s Punch Line. It’s a visual novel adventure game which appeals to a pretty niche Western audience. But most importantly it’s based off of the anime written by the mind behind the Zero Escape series, Kotaro Uchikoshi. Uchikoshi also serves as the scenario writer for the visual novel.
You’ll probably want to pick up the PS Vita version of the game, as it will probably be one of the last and most notable physical Vita releases in the West. If you can keep yourself from taking the game out of the plastic, then you might be able to sell it for a pretty penny some years down the road.
7 Omega Labyrinth Z - $53
Recently, Sony has taken to altering certain Japanese titles being brought over to the West. Games like Omega Labyrinth Z, which is considered a “fan service” game, are having content cut due to new policies within the company.
In a few years, we might look at Omega Labyrinth Z as the game that kick-started an era of censorship not seen on console games since Nintendo’s censorship joyride back in the 80s and early 90s.
However, Omega Labyrinth Z’s release was canceled completely in Western territories. This came as a shock not only to fans but distributors PQube as well. That, along with the fact that Sony’s new policies seem to be causing quite a stir among some of its Western fanbase makes picking up the Japanese version of this game worthwhile.
6 The World Ends With You - $25
The World Ends With You is another cult hit that didn’t really get all that much attention when it first released over a decade ago. But the game recently received a Switch port that seems to be getting some pretty good publicity.
If it ends up popularizing the game any more than the original DS version did, look for the 2007 version to pick up some value down the line. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see collectors trying to get their hands on the original release, as we’ve seen that happen before.
5 Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors - $40
The Zero Escape series has an incredibly passionate and dedicated fan base in the West. The first entry in the series; Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors – was a commercial failure in Japan but actually fared much better in the West, which is unheard of due to the relative obscurity of visual novels in Western markets.
999 left a huge impression on many fans of the series and holds a special place in many fan’s hearts. You could very well anticipate this game to be considered a classic years from now, and with that reputation be worth a pretty penny as well.