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PC games have been around for far longer than any console platform. Players who lived through PC’s early life know all about the wave of different manufacturers all vying for the top spot as the American family’s home computer. Even now, fans would still agree that PC gaming is the only way to truly experience a game for all that it is. As time has passed, there have been several releases that have skyrocketed in price for various reasons. Let’s take a dive into the rarest PC games you could pick up specifically from the ebay marketplace!
10. Diablo III Collector’s Edition – $250 (2012)
Let’s start this list with a game that wasn’t developed back in the 80’s. Diablo III, the third installment to the Diablo franchise, is arguably the version that got more players into the series. It was a huge help that the collector’s edition was as cool as it is. Not to be confused with the collector’s edition for Diablo III Reaper of Souls’ collector’s edition, this one came with Diablo’s skull, a 4GB Soulstone USB, a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray, artbook, soundtrack, additional DLC, and the game. While it isn’t much different from what you can find in any Blizzard collector’s edition, it’s one held in high regard by fans.
9. LOOM – $300 (1992)
Another installment to the LucasArts legacy, LOOM is the fourth game to be developed using the SCUMM engine. It is also the first game using the engine not to use the verb-object interface as previously done. Written by the famed Brian Moriarty, LOOM is the second to last game that he put his name on, with the very last being The Dig. It’s also a massive departure from other games in the LucasArts portfolio featuring a much more serious and fantastical story. All of these attributes added together help attribute to its rising price online in recent years.
8. Ultima III: Exodus – $300 (1983)
Realistically, the entire Ultima series should be on here. Unfortunately, that would make for a really dull list. Developed by founder Richard Garriott’s development company, Origin Systems, the third game is regarded as the best by fans. It is also the very first game in the franchise to be developed by Origin Systems, helping raise its popularity. Many even consider the title to be the game that laid the foundation for what gaming would consider to be the modern RPG.
7. Fallout 3: Collector’s Edition Sealed – $315 (2008)
The collector’s edition of Fallout 3 is by far my favorite collector’s edition from the franchise. Sure, the fourth game gave us a Pipboy that you can use with your phone, but the third game’s collector’s edition came with a lunchbox and figure of the infamous Vault Boy alongside an artbook and a making-of DVD. This edition of the game was already worth a ton after scalpers put it online, but with the popularity of the Fallout TV show and the subsequent Fallout games, the edition has only risen in price. This is probably because it makes an appearance in one of the first episodes of the show.
6. Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders – $350 (1988)
Lucasfilm Games, which was later renamed to LucasArts, released Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders after the success of Maniac Mansion, which is also featured on this list. The former was the second game from the developer to use the SCUMM engine, helping popularize text adventures in the way that LucasArts does them. It was released originally for the Commodore 64, which hardly exists as a platform anymore. In 2015, the game was revisited on GOG, making copies of the original floppies skyrocket in price.
5. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Collector’s Edition – $400 (2015)
The third Witcher game was the first franchise installment to be released from CD Projekt Red in four years. However, it was also the Witcher game that had the most hype backing it up. Fans of the franchise already knew that the third game was going to be a hit, but probably not on the level that it ended up being. It’s an incomparable game and the collector’s edition, which came in a box signed by all of the CD Projekt Red employees that held a statue of Geralt fighting a Griffin inside, was immediately picked up. The edition must come in a box, however, because at the year of release, GameStop managers received their own version of the statue that did not come in the special box.
4. Maniac Mansion Big Box – $500 (1989)
Maniac Mansion is my absolute favorite on this list. It is the first game to be developed and published by Lucasfilm Games and was released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II. The game was recently re-released by Limited Run Games, helping skyrocket the price of the original as fans flocked to purchase it on eBay. The fact that it’s the first game to be developed by the former gaming conglomerate is largely the reason why prices are so sky-high.
3. World of Warcraft Collector’s Edition Open Box – $800 (2004)
Anyone who knows anything about PC gaming knows about the World of Warcraft franchise. When it first launched in 2004, players were already entranced by a fourth installment to the Warcraft franchise. Launching on the tenth anniversary of the series, the World of Warcraft collector’s edition began a new saga of flamboyant collector’s editions releasing with the launch of a new expansion. The price above is valid for an open version of the edition with used CD keys. However, it would still include the behind-the-scenes DVD, hardcover art book, game manual, collector’s edition manual, and the original packaging.
2. Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress – $980 (1984)
Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress has a strong history with PC fans. When released, it came with a cloth map that showed players how significantly bigger the game was in comparison to the first game. It was also the only game in the Ultima series to be published by Sierra Online, leading Ultima founder Richard Garriott to found Origin Systems. The above price is only valid for editions of the game that include all of the floppy discs, the cloth map, the manual, and the original packaging.
1. Commander Keen: Alien’s Ate My Babysitter! Special Edition DEMO – $1,900 (1991)
There are several reasons why Commander Keen Special Edition DEMO is at the very top of the rarest PC games. Of course, it’s the most expensive PC game available to purchase on eBay. However, the original game was also the very last game to be packaged in the original boxed format. The demo floppy isn’t even the full game, but a demo that was released an entire two years later in 1993. It’s white as opposed to the original game’s blue color and was also packaged in a big box.
