Bethesda’s Starfield DLC is coming in 2027. Fallout 5 is officially in preproduction. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros slipped to early 2027. PlayStation Plus Premium keeps adding classics like Indigo Prophecy in the same week Marvel confirms Wolverine. Anyone trying to keep up on release dates through publisher blog posts is going to miss most of them. We tested seven apps that surface real dates, price drops, wishlist alerts, and post-launch reviews, so we can spend our gaming budget on the right week.
What to look for in a game release tracker
The categories that matter, based on how we actually use these tools:
- Wishlist syncing across Steam, GOG, Epic, and elsewhere
- Price alert history so we know if the current sale is real
- Real release dates rather than marketing placeholders
- Backlog tracking to remember what we bought and never played
- Playtime estimates so we can plan a weekend around a 15-hour campaign
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playnite | Unified library and release feed | Windows | Free, open source | Combines Steam, GOG, Epic, Xbox |
| SteamDB | Deep Steam release intelligence | Web | Free | Real-time depot updates |
| IsThereAnyDeal | Price history across stores | Web, Android, iOS | Free | Alerts across 50+ retailers |
| GG.deals | Retailer aggregation | Web | Free | Regional pricing detail |
| HowLongToBeat | Playtime estimates | Web | Free | Community-sourced hours |
| Backloggd | Backlog and reviews | Web | Free | Social review feed |
| Steam Wishlist | Native wishlist alerts | Web, Steam client | Free | First-party release emails |
The apps
1. Playnite, best overall for a unified library and release feed
Playnite pulls games from Steam, GOG, Epic, Xbox, Amazon Games, itch.io, and more into one library, then adds a Release Date extension that pushes notifications when wishlisted titles unlock. Extensions layer on HowLongToBeat times, Metacritic scores, and price data. The whole thing runs locally on Windows.
Where it falls short: Windows only. Extension quality varies.
Pricing:
- Free.
- Open source under the MIT license.
Platforms: Windows
Download: Publisher site · GitHub Releases
Bottom line: The clean way to see every wishlisted game across every store in one place. Install first, then layer other trackers.
2. SteamDB, best for deep Steam release intelligence
SteamDB watches Steam’s internal depot changes and surfaces release date shifts, patch drops, and playtest keys before the store page updates. Anyone tracking a specific title benefits from following its SteamDB entry. Historical charts show if a game’s marketing “delayed” date is the first slip or the fourth.
Where it falls short: Steam only. Depot data is technical.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: For anyone who wants to know an hour before the announcement drops.
3. IsThereAnyDeal, best for price history
IsThereAnyDeal aggregates prices across over 50 retailers and stores a full price history for every tracked game. Alerts fire on percentage drops, absolute prices, or store-specific deals. Firefox and Chrome extensions overlay history on Steam and GOG pages directly.
Where it falls short: UI is dense. Regional currency handling can lag.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web, Android, iOS
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: The reference tool for “is this actually a good sale?” Layer the browser extension on top of Steam for zero-friction checks.
4. GG.deals, best for regional pricing detail
GG.deals surfaces the same aggregation IsThereAnyDeal covers, with tighter regional detail across European, Latin American, and Asian retailers. Steam keys, standalone codes, and subscription bundles all appear. Historical low is prominent on every listing.
Where it falls short: Ads and affiliate pushes clutter the results. Some retailer partnerships get more visibility than others.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: For anyone shopping across international key resellers. Cross-check with IsThereAnyDeal before buying.
5. HowLongToBeat, best for playtime estimates
HowLongToBeat is where the community reports how many hours each game actually takes. Main story, main plus extras, and completionist tiers give three honest data points. If a January release drops between two work weeks, this is the tool that tells us whether we can finish it before the next release.
Where it falls short: Estimates for indie games can be thin. Some entries skew to fast completionists.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: The tool that saves us from buying a 60-hour RPG two weeks before the next 40-hour one drops.
6. Backloggd, best for backlog tracking and reviews
Backloggd is Letterboxd for video games. Track played, playing, and backlog, log reviews, and follow other players. Upcoming release lists surface community anticipation ahead of publisher push. Handy for finding smaller titles marketing missed.
Where it falls short: Newer than the others; database still filling out for older titles. No mobile app yet.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: For anyone who wants a social layer on their release tracking. The friend feed surfaces games the algorithms miss.
7. Steam Wishlist, best for native release emails
Steam Wishlist is the least glamorous tool on the list and the most reliable one. Wishlist a game, get an email on release, get an email on any sale over 10 percent. It just works.
Where it falls short: Steam only. No cross-store visibility.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Web, Steam client
Download: Publisher site
Bottom line: Do not skip this because it is basic. It is the fallback we can trust even when the fancier tools miss an alert.
How to pick the right one
If we want a single library that watches every store: Playnite.
If we track a specific game and want early signal: SteamDB.
If we watch prices across stores: IsThereAnyDeal.
If we shop across regional key retailers: GG.deals.
If we plan our gaming calendar by playtime: HowLongToBeat.
If we want a social backlog with reviews: Backloggd.
If we buy mostly on Steam and want zero-config alerts: Steam Wishlist.
FAQ
What is the best free app for tracking upcoming game releases?
Playnite for a full library manager, IsThereAnyDeal for pricing alerts, HowLongToBeat for planning around release date density.
Can I get one app that shows Steam, GOG, and Epic wishlists?
Playnite is the closest. IsThereAnyDeal handles alerts across stores but does not surface a single wishlist view.
Is SteamDB accurate for release dates?
Yes. SteamDB shows the exact release_date field Steam publishes and highlights every historical change.
Which app tells me if a game is worth buying at full price?
HowLongToBeat plus Backloggd. Playtime plus community reviews cover most decisions.
Do any of these send push notifications to my phone?
IsThereAnyDeal’s Android and iOS apps send alerts. Playnite sends Windows notifications only.
