‘Tis the season of good cheer, good food, and most importantly, good gaming deals. OK, maybe that’s not the most important thing… but it’s certainly a bonus! Valve is clearly feeling generous as its new Steam Winter Sale is packed with hundreds of discounts on some of the best PC games around. While you’re of course welcome to rifle through it yourself and check out every single deal, we’ve cherrypicked ten of our favorites.
There are several reasons why these particular deals stand out in the new Steam sale. They could give you ridiculously huge discounts on old-but-gold titles. They might be knocking money off of some of the best new PC games to release this year. Or they might make some essential, must-play games cheaper than ever before. Let’s take a look then at some of the best deals Steam is serving up for the festive period.
Elden Ring (40% off)
At this point, there can’t be many of you left that haven’t played Elden Ring yet. However, if it’s one that’s been on your to-do list for a while and the mania around its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion has given you some FOMO, now’s a great time to pick up arguably the best soulslike we’ve ever seen. With its 40% discount, Elden Ring is at its joint-lowest Steam price ever.
State of Decay 2 (90% off)
In what is by far the biggest Steam discount it’s received since evolving into its enhanced Juggernaut Edition, this State of Decay 2 deal caught our eye. While it’s had its issues over the years, the State of Decay 2 you find today more closely aligns with the zombie game experience fans wanted and expected from the beginning. While support for the game has now sadly ended as developer Undead Labs looks ahead to the State of Decay 3 release date, it has been left in a polished, content-rich state and is well worth playing. Get a couple of friends to pick it up while it’s less than $3 and give it a go together – it’s a blast.
Manor Lords (30% off)
Part RTS game, part medieval city builder, Manor Lords is one of our favorite new games of 2024. Sure, it’s still in early access and isn’t the finished product just yet. But it’s an incredibly deep, challenging, and addictive game that puts you in the shoes of a lord who wants to build the next great kingdom. As you take your quaint village of shacks to a sprawling medieval metropolis, you must carefully plan your expansions due to its authentic, grid-less building system, expertly balance your resources, and train an army that will fend off the forces of rival lords. With a 30% discount in the Winter Sale, Manor Lords is now back down at its lowest ever price point on Steam.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (25% off)
It’s safe to say that, despite its ability to suck in millions of players each year, recent Call of Duty games haven’t been the memorable blockbusters the series has produced in the past. However, with Black Ops 6, it’s got its mojo back. While not an all-timer, BO6’s campaign delivers some surprising twists and lots of unique gameplay moments. Its multiplayer is fast, slick, and can never be accused of being thin on content. And its Zombies experience is the best it’s been for many, many years, returning to the round-based formula fans love. Its inclusion in the Steam Winter Sale also drops it down to its lowest price so far, and when you bear in mind that it only came out at the end of October, it’s a pretty generous discount.
Dredge (50% off)
While your adventure in the stunning fishing simulator Dredge will begin bobbing around a quaint cove looking to hook some mackerel, it will soon descend into a freaky and heart-racing horror game. When the sun’s up, the goal is to land plenty of fish so that you can pay to upgrade your boat and explore new locations. In the darkness of night, however, your only thought should be sailing back to the safety of your nearest harbor. Terrifying sea monsters are lurking and will punish you if you spend too long out on the waves. This is one of our favorite indies of the last few years, and is now at its lowest ever Steam price thanks to the Winter Sale.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (92% off)
While the Mass Effect Legendary Edition can regularly be found with a decent discount, it’s hard not to highlight it given just how much content you’ll get for so few of your hard-earned dollars. Not just any old content either – we’re talking some of the best RPGs ever made with some of the greatest characters and narratives in gaming history. If you’ve never played a Mass Effect game before, or maybe you’ve only played a couple of them in the past, pick up the Legendary Edition. With its 92% discount making it just $4.79/ £3.99, you’re not going to regret it.
The Outlast Trials (50% off)
Outlast has become one of the biggest names in the horror scene, and this year’s The Outlast Trials doesn’t let the series down. While it’s a thrilling solo experience, it’s also an absolute hoot with friends thanks to its co-op support. While it still celebrates the core Outlast formula of hiding and fleeing from sinister horrors that relentlessly stalk you, the game’s trials each contain unique mechanics and objectives and are set in different locations to really challenge your survival skills.
Satisfactory (20% off)
Those of you with a good memory will recall that Satisfactory featured in our roundup of the Autumn Sale, and the reason it’s appearing once again for the Winter Sale is simple: it’s just so good. One of the highest-rated Steam games around, Satisfactory tasks you (and your pals, should you wish to bring them along) with building sprawling factories and assembly lines, but this is not some top-down, city builder-style experience – Satisfactory lets you get your hands dirty. With first-person exploration, you can venture out into a huge open world to gather resources and engage in some light combat against the inhabitants of this alien planet. Oh, and you can get a jetpack. Did we not mention the jetpack?
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (25% off)
One of 2024’s biggest and best new games, Space Marine 2 is also now the cheapest it’s been on Steam. While it faced some tough competition with fellow third-person co-op shooter Helldivers 2 also dropping this year, Space Marine 2 has been a resounding success. With a great campaign, co-op modes that range from high-difficulty battles to bug-splattering slaughter-fests, and a strong roadmap of content to sustain it in the future, we wholeheartedly recommend it – whether you’re already a fan of the best Warhammer 40k games or not.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 (95% off)
While maybe not as revolutionary as some of the older games in the series (or the upcoming Civilization 7) Civilization 6 is still a brilliant and well-loved entry. In truth, any Civ game is worth your time. But if you’re a strategy game fan that’s somehow not ticked Civ 6 off your list, or you’re maybe a genre newcomer that’s looking forward to Civ 7, this monster discount of 95% is for you. Create sprawling, powerful kingdoms and rub shoulders with some of history’s most important figures, all for just $2.99/ £2.49.
So there you have it, our ten favorite deals of the new Steam Winter Sale. It’s once again a pretty amazing sale from Valve that includes some of the best PC games of all time. If you love great value, though, our free PC games guide is full of titles that you can jump into without spending a dime.
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