The Humble Bundle Hack: How to Buy Only the Games You Want for Pennies on the Dollar

humblebundle.comHumble Bundle offers incredible game deals, but what if you only want one or two games from a $15 bundle? There's a little-known strategy that lets you cherry-pick exactly what you want for a fraction of the bundle price—and it's completely legitimate.

What is Humble Bundle?

Humble Bundle is a digital storefront that sells curated bundles of PC games, ebooks, and software at pay-what-you-want prices. Founded in 2010, they've become famous for offering collections of 8-12 games for as little as $1-$25, with a portion of proceeds going to charity.

The typical Humble Bundle structure includes three tiers:

Tier 1 ($1): Usually 2-3 games
Tier 2 (Beat the Average): Typically 4-6 games
Tier 3 ($12-$25): The complete bundle with 8-12 games

Bundles refresh every few weeks, covering categories like strategy games, indie games, AAA titles, VR games, and even software bundles featuring productivity tools.

While Humble Bundle is an excellent value, there's a catch: you're forced to buy the entire bundle tier even if you only want one specific game. That $15 might seem like a deal for 10 games, but if you only want one title, you're essentially paying $15 for that single game while the others sit unused in your library.

The Hidden Secondary Market

Here's what Humble Bundle doesn't advertise: when thousands of people buy the same bundle, many of them already own some of the games. Rather than let those extra game keys go to waste, they sell them on CD key marketplaces.

This creates a massive secondary market where individual games from Humble Bundles flood key reseller sites within hours of a new bundle launching. The result? You can buy just the games you want at prices far below the bundle cost.

How the Resale Market Works

When a new Humble Bundle launches, here's what happens:

1. Thousands of people buy the bundle
2. Many buyers already own 1-3 games in the bundle
3. They list their duplicate keys on resale marketplaces
4. Prices drop dramatically due to sudden supply surge
5. You can buy individual games for $0.50-$5 each

The most popular CD key marketplaces where Humble Bundle keys end up:

Eneba - One of the largest key marketplaces with buyer protection and competitive pricing. You'll find individual Humble Bundle games here within 24 hours of bundle launch.

Kinguin isthereanydeal- Another major player with a huge selection of Humble Bundle keys. Prices are often 60-80% below Steam prices.

G2A - While controversial, it remains a popular marketplace for cheap game keys from bundle sellers.

CDKeys - A more curated marketplace that often stocks keys from bundle breakdowns.

The Strategy: How to Cherry-Pick Games

Here's the exact process to save money:

Step 1: Watch for New Humble Bundles

Check humblebundle.com every Tuesday and Friday when new bundles typically launch. Sign up for their email notifications or follow their social media.

Step 2: Identify Games You Want

When a new bundle drops, look through the list. Don't buy the bundle if you only want 1-2 games. Instead, note which specific titles interest you.

Step 3: Wait 24-48 Hours

This is crucial. Give the market time for bundle buyers to list their duplicate keys. The flood of supply takes a day or two to hit marketplaces.

Step 4: Search Resale Marketplaces

Head to Eneba, Kinguin, or your preferred marketplace and search for the specific game title. You'll typically find:

• Games from $1 tier selling for $0.50-$1.50
• Games from middle tier selling for $1-$3
• Games from top tier selling for $3-$7

Compare this to buying the entire $15-$25 bundle just for one game.

Step 5: Buy Individual Keys

Purchase only the games you actually want. Most marketplaces accept PayPal and credit cards, and you receive your Steam key instantly via email.

Step 6: Activate on Steam

Copy your key, open Steam, go to "Games > Activate a Product on Steam" and enter your code. The game is now in your library permanently.

Real-World Example

Let's say a new Humble Bundle launches with these games:

$15 Tier Bundle Contents:

• Game A (you want this)
• Game B (already own)
• Game C (not interested)
• Game D (not interested)
• Game E (you want this)
• Games F-J (not interested)

Bundle Cost: $15 for all 10 games

Your actual interest: 2 games out of 10

Resale Market Alternative:

• Game A on Eneba: $2.49
• Game E on Eneba: $3.99
  Total cost: $6.48

You just saved $8.52 by cherry-picking instead of buying the bundle.

Why This Works

This strategy works because:

Market Oversupply: When 50,000+ people buy a bundle and 30% already own certain games, that creates 15,000+ duplicate keys flooding the market.

Sellers Want Quick Sales: Most sellers price aggressively to move keys fast before the bundle expires and demand drops.

You Pay for What You Want: Instead of subsidizing 8 games you'll never play, you pay only for titles you'll actually use.

Legitimate Keys: These aren't stolen or fraudulent keys. They're legitimately purchased from Humble Bundle by people who don't need them.

Important Considerations

Regional Restrictions: Some keys are region-locked. Check the marketplace listing to ensure the key works in your country.

Bundle Timing: The best prices appear 24-72 hours after bundle launch. Too early and sellers haven't listed yet. Too late and supply diminishes.

Seller Reputation: Stick with highly-rated sellers on these marketplaces. Most platforms show seller ratings and buyer protection.

Game Popularity: AAA titles hold value better than indie games. A blockbuster game might only drop to $8 on the resale market, while indie titles often hit $0.75.

Bundle Type Matters: Game bundles see the most resale activity. Software and ebook bundles have less secondary market liquidity.

When to Buy the Full Bundle

This strategy isn't always the answer. Buy the full Humble Bundle when:

• You want 4+ games from the bundle (better value to buy the full thing)
• The charity component matters to you (bundles support worthy causes)
• You enjoy discovering new indie games (bundles introduce you to gems)
• The bundle average price is very low (sometimes $4-$6 for the full middle tier)

The Ethics Question

Is this ethical? Absolutely. You're buying legitimate keys from people who legally purchased them. Humble Bundle and game developers already got paid when the original bundle buyer purchased it. The resale market simply redistributes unwanted keys to people who will actually play the games.

Some argue this hurts charity contributions since you're not buying directly from Humble. However, the original bundle buyer already made that charitable contribution. Your purchase on the resale market doesn't reduce charity funding—it simply provides liquidity for duplicate keys.

Pro Tips for Maximum Savings

Use Price Comparison Tools: Websites like isthereanydeal.com show prices across multiple marketplaces so you can find the best deal.

Create Accounts in Advance: Have accounts ready on Eneba and Kinguin so you can buy quickly when deals appear.

Set Price Alerts: Some marketplaces let you set alerts when a game hits your target price.

Buy During Bundle Active Period: Prices are lowest while the bundle is still active (2-3 weeks). After the bundle expires, prices gradually rise.

Check Multiple Marketplaces: A game might be $4 on Kinguin but $2 on Eneba. Always comparison shop.

Watch for Flash Sales: Marketplaces occasionally run their own sales on top of already-low bundle key prices.

The Bottom Line

Humble Bundle bundles are fantastic if you want everything in them. But if you're only interested in 1-2 games from a $15-$25 bundle, the resale market lets you cherry-pick for 60-80% less.

The strategy is simple: wait 24-48 hours after a new Humble Bundle launches, then check Eneba, Kinguin, and other CD key marketplaces for individual games. You'll find legitimate Steam keys at a fraction of the bundle cost.

Instead of paying $20 for a bundle where you only want two games, pay $3-$6 total for just those two titles. The keys work identically, they're completely legitimate, and you're not wasting money on games you'll never play.

Next time a Humble Bundle launches with that one game you've been eyeing, skip the full bundle purchase. Wait two days, check the resale markets, and grab just what you want for pennies on the dollar.