As the Summer Sale ends...

... if someone asked you for fun, cheap recommendations...

... what would you suggest?

(and no, this isn't suggestions for me or my tastes... it's recommendations meant for anyone browsing the sale)

Keeping my list for games for 2 bucks and under to be considered actually cheap. ;)

First thing that always comes to my mind: FlatOut 2. One of the best arcade racers ever made.

Also, Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Now this is how you do a remake. The original TR was good, but this vastly improves on it. Still my favorite of the franchise. :)

Also also, Zombie Night Terror. Lemmings: Zombie Edition. Enough said. ;)

Also also also, HuniePop. Dumb, dumber, and not exactly family friendly (especially with the adult patch applied via a dummy file). Even so, it's a very well made and fun puzzle game. Still better than the sequel.

Also also also also, two of the best adventure point-and-clicks from Daedalic:
Anna's Quest - Dark fairy tale world. Does feature a child protagonist, but it's definitely not for kids.
The Night of the Rabbit - Also an imaginative fairy tale world of a different kind.

Also x 5, at above 2 bucks by a few cents
Outlaws - Lucas Arts's Spaghetti Western FPS
Star Wars: Dark Forces - Doom: Star Wars Edition
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds - Best Age of Empires ;)

Also x 6, Race the Sun. One of the better examples of small procedural games done right. Literally chasing your own high score. ;)

Also x 7, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. A true classic, best played via OpenRCT 2 these days.
Best bought with the original Roller Coaster Tycoon, making both an average of two bucks each. ;)

Also x 8, Unreal Tournament. Featuring some of the best bots in FPS history, and in-game online matchmaking is still supported to this day. 2004 may be technically superior in certain aspect, but its bots are completely incapable of doing well outside of classic run-and-gun (worst drivers ever!). Even that aside, I usually still find this more fun to play nowadays.

Also x 9, two of the best and only (?) good castle RTSeses (just don't bother with the extreme versions because they're fubar):
Stronghold HD - Great for its campaign.
Stronghold Crusader - Better for its skirmish and multiplayer play.

Just a few...

Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen ($5.09/US): https://www.gog.com/game/dragons_dogma_dark_arisen

Blackguards ($1.19/US): https://www.gog.com/game/blackguards_special_edition

Blackguards II ($.99): https://www.gog.com/en/game/blackguards_2

Sword Legacy Omen ($2.69/US): https://www.gog.com/game/sword_legacy_omen

Nosferatu: Wrath of Malachi ($.59/US): https://www.gog.com/en/game/nosferatu_wrath_of_malachi

ARMA: Cold War Assault ($.99/US): https://www.gog.com/en/game/arma_cold_war_assault

Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive ($1.24/US): https://www.gog.com/en/game/desperados_wanted_dead_or_alive

Arx Fatalis ($1.49/US): https://www.gog.com/en/game/arx_fatalis

I almost forgot about this : https://www.gog.com/forum/general/the_cheapskates_guide_summer_sale_edition

There are quite a few games under $1 and $2, and honestly I doubt it's hard to go wrong with most of them (aside from possible technical issues).

https://www.gog.com/en/games?priceRange=0,2&hideDLCs=true

https://www.gog.com/en/games?priceRange=0,1&hideDLCs=true

could grab the Tomb Raider LAU Trilogy for <$3 (less possible tax).
Postal 2 is $1.
Space Hack is $1.
Nosferatu Wrath of Malachi is 59 cents.

https://www.gog.com/en/games?publishers=funbox-media-limited
https://www.gog.com/en/games?publishers=meridian4

Fictorum is $2.49. Go get it.

Sticking to a handful of games under two bucks that can be considered fun.

Deponia -90% 1.06$
Deponia 2: Chaos on Deponia -90% 2.13$
Deponia 3: Goodbye Deponia -90% 2.13$
Deponia 4: Deponia Doomsday -90% 2.13$
Detective Grimoire -80% 1.21$
Dex -90% 1.49$
Downwell -67% 1.05$
Hard Reset Redux -90% 1.99$
Haunt the House: Terrortown -80% 0.85$
Milanoir -85% 1.73$
Pinstripe -90% 1.49$

Also see my list of games under 5$. These aren't necessarily "fun", in the sense that I wouldn't use that word to describe a horror game or one with a dark narrative, and so on.

Under $1
Beyond Divinity https://www.gog.com/en/game/beyond_divinity
Divine Dvinity https://www.gog.com/en/game/divine_divinity
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! https://www.gog.com/en/game/holy_potatoes_a_weapon_shop
Holy Potatoes! We're in Space?! https://www.gog.com/en/game/holy_potatoes_were_in_space

Under $2
Divinity 2: Developer's Cut https://www.gog.com/en/game/divinity_2_developers_cut
Dragonsphere https://www.gog.com/en/game/dragonsphere
Dungeon Keeper Gold https://www.gog.com/en/game/dungeon_keeper
Dungeon Keeper 2 https://www.gog.com/en/game/dungeon_keeper_2
Lands of Lore 1+2 https://www.gog.com/en/game/lands_of_lore_1_2
Lands of Lore 3 https://www.gog.com/en/game/lands_of_lore_3
Nox https://www.gog.com/en/game/nox
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack https://www.gog.com/en/game/sid_meiers_alpha_centauri
Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete https://www.gog.com/en/game/sid_meiers_civilization_iii_complete
SimCity 2000 Special Edition https://www.gog.com/en/game/simcity_2000_special_edition
Starflight 1+2 https://www.gog.com/en/game/starflight_1_2
Super Hexagon https://www.gog.com/en/game/super_hexagon
The Legend of Kyrandia (Book One) https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_kyrandia
The Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate (Book Two) https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_kyrandia_hand_of_fate
The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge (Book Three) https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_kyrandia_malcolms_revenge
Ultima Underworld 1+2 https://www.gog.com/en/game/ultima_underworld_1_2
VVVVVV https://www.gog.com/en/game/vvvvvv
Wing Commander: Privateer https://www.gog.com/en/game/wing_commander_privateer

Under $3
Bastion https://www.gog.com/en/game/bastion
Costume Quest https://www.gog.com/en/game/costume_quest
Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure https://www.gog.com/en/game/gibbous_a_cthulhu_adventure
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis https://www.gog.com/en/game/indiana_jones_and_the_fate_of_atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade https://www.gog.com/en/game/indiana_jones_and_the_last_crusade
LOOM https://www.gog.com/en/game/loom
Maniac Mansion https://www.gog.com/en/game/maniac_mansion
Master of Magic Classic https://www.gog.com/en/game/master_of_magic_classic
Master of Orion 1+2 https://www.gog.com/en/game/master_of_orion_1_2
Sam & Max Hit the Road https://www.gog.com/en/game/sam_max_hit_the_road
SimCity 3000 Unlimited https://www.gog.com/en/game/simcity_3000
The Dig https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_dig
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders https://www.gog.com/en/game/zak_mckracken_and_the_alien_mindbenders