Summary
TheSteamSummer Sale is typically full of the steepest discounts in gaming, and 2024 certainly isn’t an exception to the rule. With two full weeks of deals from just about every publisher imaginable, it can be hard to sift through everything to find the best sales. There may be a lot to consider, but some games definitely position themselves as particularly good options.
Although the Steam Summer Sale was first made famous for its gratuitous helping of 80-90% discounts, the changing market and eventual removal of limited-time flash sales brought it closer in line with sales events from other digital marketplaces over time. This year feels like something of areturn to form for the Steam Summer Salewith an unusually high number of eye-watering discounts on great games, witha few noteworthy titles even pushing past the 90% mark.
An Iconic Stealth Game With A 9/10 Rating On Steam Will Be Free Starting July 3
10Frostpunk Offers Unique Survival Simulation
2.99 (90% Off)
Frostpunk 2is slated to release in September 2024, but for those who have never played the first title, now is the perfect time to try it out.Frostpunkadds an unusually gritty twist to the city-builder formula, taking it in a survival direction with a post-apocalyptic scenario and extensive citizen management options that force difficult decisions about the compromises necessary to persevere.
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Like most games in its genre,Frostpunkis highly replayable, and a 90% off discount places it as a candidate for one of the best returns on investment in the Steam Summer Sale. It might not be the best choice for those who prefer their simulation games to be relaxing, but anyone looking to shake things up with a more intense experience could hardly go wrong withFrostpunk.
9Forza Horizon 4 Won’t Be On Steam For Much Longer
$11.99 (80% Off)
Forza Horizon 4’s 80% discount is pretty attractive, but it’s not even the biggest reason to pick up this open-world racing title. Like previousForza Horizongames,4has reached itsend of life on digital platformsthanks to expiring licenses.It’s set to leave Steam on December 15, so this sale will be one of the last chances to pick it up for cheap.
TheForza Horizongames blend the realistic racing mechanics ofForza Motorsportwith a more forgiving style of festival gameplay, offering experiences that both car enthusiasts and casual players can enjoy.Forza Horizon 4takes the franchise to Britain, from tight streets in London to beautiful open roads. Per the series standard, it’s racked up plenty of rave reviews, and it’s becoming increasingly frustrating that none of these games stick around for too long on digital storefronts.
8Battlefield 1 Is Still One Of The Franchise’s Best
$2.79 (93% Off)
The iconicBattlefieldseries has had its ups and downs recently, but the last game to receive truly widespread acclaim wasBattlefield 1.This title switched to a World War 1 setting, complete with everything from Lee-Enfield rifles to zeppelins in the sky.Well-balanced gameplay and memorable maps help it hold up against newer entries, and its then-cutting-edge graphics still look great today.
The Steam Summer Sale goes over the top withBattlefield 1, knocking it down to $2.79 with a 93% discount. It’s not the onlyBattlefieldgame with a tempting price, but the only other one as cheap isBattlefield 4, which is also a great option. The prices look especially good when compared to theCall of Dutyseries, which refuses to go for particularly steep discounts even on games that have been around for decades.
7Batman: Arkham Knight Ends A Series In Style
$1.99 (90% Off)
All the games in Rocksteady’sBatman:Arkhamseries can be had for good prices in the Steam Summer Sale, but the most recent one actually gets the best discount of any. At 90% off,Batman: Arkham Knightpacks plenty of intense combat and a beautiful rendition of Gotham to explore into an extremely cheap package.
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There’s a good case to be made for any of theBatman: Arkhamgames as a favorite, andKnightestablishes itself as a contenderwith the most refined action and gorgeous visuals that the series has to offer. Its PC release was originally infamous thanks to some poor optimization that made for a rough launch, but it’s a lot easier to play today than it was when it first came out on Steam. The Batmobile sections might still not be for everyone, but that hardly sinks a game that’s generally great.
6Portal 2 Is An All-Time Puzzle Great
$0.99 (90% Off)
Portal 2going on a steep sale isn’t as rare as some of the other games on this list, but that doesn’t make picking it up any less worthwhile. As the sequel to a particularly innovative puzzle game,Portal 2doubles down on everything that made its predecessor great. A compelling story is woven through puzzle progression in a crumbling facility, and despite a large focus on humor, it’s capable of packing a surprising emotional punch.
The 90% off discount in the Steam Summer Sale bringsPortal 2down to a 99 cent price point, and it’s hard to come up with a reason not to pick it up at that price point. It’s not the only great option from Valve, and some compelling alternatives can be found in the equally cheapHalf-LifeandHalf-Life 2along with the originalPortal.
5The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Tells A Great RPG Story
$3.99 (90% Off)
The whole trilogy ofThe Witchergames can be picked up for cheap in the Steam Summer Sale, but for anyone grabbing only one,there’s a reason thatThe Witcher 3is the most iconic. Each game refines and expands what came before it, transitioning from the fascinating but often clunky experience of the first one to an industry-leading experience inThe Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3presents a generally compelling fantasy world, but its greatest strength lies in its story, which builds off of the strong writing of the source novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Following Geralt of Rivia on a journey that involves fighting monsters, navigating politics, and building relationships,The Witcher 3’s narrative stands out aboveother open-world RPGs. At 90% off, it’s also a good bit cheaper than most of them, leaving little reason not to check it out.
4Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 Is A Strategy Must-Have
$2.99 (95% Off)
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6’s merits as a successor toCivilization 5have been widely debated over the years, but when it comes to this Steam Summer Sale, it’s pretty easy to decide which one to pick up. WhileCivilization 5remains at full price,6is knocked down by 95%, making for a pretty irresistible offer.It’s easy to get hundreds of hours or more out of anyCivilizationgame, and6is no exception.
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Like the other games in the franchise,Civilization 6lets players control various civilizations throughout the course of history and shape them into successful empires through everything from military might to scientific development. The base game forCivilization 6is a more complete package than5originally was, returning to features like religion that only showed up in DLCs for the prior game. For anyone who isn’t sold on this entry,Civilization 4is another cheap option that remains great today.
3Mass Effect Legendary Edition Packages A Major Trilogy
$5.99 (90% Off)
If there’s anything better than getting one great game for 90% off, it’s getting three, andMass Effect Legendary Editiondelivers just that. As a remastered package of the completeMass Effecttrilogy,this is the easiest way to pick up the space opera story from start to finish. It also tosses in an extensive amount of DLC along with some quality-of-life tweaks.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Gameplay Looks More Like Fantasy Mass Effect Than A New DA Game
As Dragon Age: The Veilguard heads towards release at long last, its gameplay reveals are looking more like Mass Effect than Dragon Age.
AlthoughMass Effectdeveloper BioWare has struggled to recapture some of its classic magic in recent years, this trilogy represents the studio at the arguable height of its powers. Compelling choices, engaging characters, and plenty of memorable moments are scattered across the course of all three games. It’s worth noting thatMass Effect 3is also a bit notorious for an ending that disappointed many players, but its heights are just as excellent as the other two games.
2Celeste Leaps Above The Platforming Pack
Hard platformers are a dime a dozen these days, but genuinely great ones don’t come by as often.Celesteis a platformer that stands out from the pack, nailing all the basics while going above and beyond in a number of key regards. Dynamic movement is exciting to master across a cavalcade of tightly designed levels, and some optional challenges ratched up the difficulty to be punishingly memorable.
It’s not just about the platforming, however, andCelestealso impresses with great art, catchy music, and a surprisingly thoughtful story. For anyone scared of its nail-biting difficulty, the game includes an Assist Mode with options to tweak some of the more challenging aspects. At 90% off,Celesteis a fraction of the cost of many iconic platforms, but it’s every bit as good as the rest of them.
1Disco Elysium Is An RPG Masterpiece
Perhaps the most shocking steal of the Steam Summer Sale is a 90% off discount forDisco Elysium, a masterful RPG that hadn’t yet received any price slashes of that intensity. Putting players into the shoes of a detective with the potential to be good, terrible, or a healthy mix of both,Disco Elysiumventures into the fictional city of Revachol to offer up a memorable mystery.
Unlike a lot of similar RPGs,Disco Elysiumdoesn’t have much in the way of combat, focusing instead on squirreling conversations and fascinating dialogue options. Fantastic art and extensive narration also give it some extra points of appeal, but the writing is ultimately what makes it such an imperativeSteamSummer Sale pickup, with a level of sophistication that stands head and shoulders above what can be found in most games.
Steam
Developed by Valve and released in 2003, Steam is a popular video game distribution service originally used by the company to provide updates for Valve games. In 2005, Steam expanded to distribute third-party titles. Steam users can not only browse games for purchase, but they can also post reviews and upload self-made content.
