Google Play launches “buy once, play anywhere” on select paid games

Google Play has announced a slew of new features to improve the discoverability and purchase appeal of its PC and mobile games.

Google’s “buy once, play anywhere” scheme, announced at GDC Festival of Gaming, is accompanied by new paid games and game trials to further tempt the 160 million gamers that use its You tab.

Its “buy once, play anywhere” pricing – live from today – supports players jumping into select paid games across both mobile and PC devices for a single purchase, including Dungeon Clawler, OTTTD, and the Reigns series.

Addressing players, Google said: “To help you more easily decide if you want to buy a game, we’re introducing Game Trials, a risk-free way to jump into the full version of a paid title at no cost. If you like it, you can easily purchase the game and pick up right where you left off, with your progress carrying over.

“Game Trials are rolling out soon to select paid games on mobile, and will come to Google Play Games on PC in the future.”

Google is also committed to making it easier for players to ask each other game-related questions, though this is currently restricted to English-language Community Posts and only on selected games. More languages and games are coming “soon.”