Summer is upon the northern hemisphere, and that means two things: having to remember to wear sunscreen, and Steam’s summer sale. Like a trusted old friend, the summer sale arrives like clockwork, delivering ridiculous discounts on hit games and draining the wallets of the unwary. To help you with your good work, here’s a list of some of the best games to buy while they’re on sale for under $10.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – 50% off
One of the first cutting-edge titles in the now-beloved roguelike genre, The Binding of Isaac is a terrifyingly bizarre procedurally generated top-down shooter action RPG that focuses on multiple runs to uncover all of its secrets. Rebirth gives the game a complete overhaul, with brand new art, an improved game engine, and a host of other improvements and enhancements. It’s available during the sale for just $7.49.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling – 50% off
Fans of the Paper Mario series will get a lot out of Bug Fables, a turn-based RPG with a familiar storybook aesthetic. Guide your team of three brave insects through the world of Bugaria in search of the Everspring, an artifact said to grant eternal life. With classic Mario RPG-style action commands that enhance combat and lots of fun platforming and puzzle solving combined with RPG elements, it’s a bargain at $9.99.
Cardboard – 50% off
Carto takes the familiar aspect of having a map from many games and turns it on its head. While it generally plays like a nonviolent Zelda game, its core mechanics allow you to disassemble and restructure each level in real time, solve puzzles, and unlock new routes as you encounter new map pieces along the way. Help young Carto find his way back to his grandmother, making lots of friends and solving the world’s problems along the way, for just $9.99.
Light Blue – 75% off
An iconic puzzle-platformer, Celeste is also a story about dealing with anxiety and depression and accepting who you are as a person. Featuring gorgeous pixel art and immensely tight controls, the game will see players die over and over again, but always willing to give each screen another chance or ten. Go ahead and find your way up Celeste Mountain for just $4.99.
SUNSET – 55% off
If you’re a fan of classic shooters like Doom but feel modern reboots don’t look polygonal enough, DUSK is the game for you. Directly inspired by classic 90’s shooters in both mechanics and visuals, DUSK pits you against cultists and demons in a lo-fi hail of blood. With multiple campaigns, an endless survival mode, and online arena multiplayer, you certainly get your money’s worth for $8.99.
Hollow Knight – 50% off
With the release of its sequel…someday, this is a perfect opportunity to catch up with the wonderfully challenging Hollow Knight. A vast and sprawling Metroidvania title with a distinctly Soulsborne-esque approach to combat, Hollow Knight is undeniably a visually beautiful and mechanically impressive game. Newcomers to the game even have the advantage of jumping right in with the four free content updates, including new mechanics, questlines, bosses, and rewards. For just $7.49, you owe it to yourself to play this one.
Papers, please: 50% discount
A surprise 2013 hit from indie developer Lucas Pope, Papers, Please might not seem like much on paper. In effect, it’s a bureaucracy simulator that puts you in a booth on the border of the fictional town of Grestin. Things start out simple enough, requiring him to stamp visitors’ passports, but soon more and more arbitrary restrictions begin to appear, forcing him to make difficult decisions on the spot while risking his and his family’s livelihood. It’s a strange and exhilarating game, and it’s worth the $4.99 experience.
Slay the Spire – 66% off
The epitome of “just one more race” gameplay. Slay the Spire is a deck-based roguelike that lets you progress through dungeons, fight monsters, and claim bonuses and abilities. Races are manageable in length – once you get the hang of things, you can probably run most of them in 20-30 minutes, but the sheer variety and number of combinations of the different cards, character abilities, and other random elements will remain. . you come back from more Almost infinite replay value for only $8.49.
Stardew Valley – 40% off
The farming simulator that all other farming simulators aspire to. Inspired by the classic Harvest Moon series, Stardew Valley is a peaceful little title that packs a remarkable amount of depth. Whether your priority is making the best farm possible, going monster hunting in the mines, or courting your villager of choice, chances are you’ll have poured dozens of hours into this game before you know it. On top of that, it even has a dedicated modding community that provides even more content, not bad for $8.99.
The Wolf Among Us – 60% off
Another game with a long-awaited sequel that was recently announced. The Wolf Among Us is one of the best offerings from beleaguered Telltale Games, and you can still get it on Steam. It is a narrative-driven game with quick-time events, set in the world of Fables comics, in which private investigator Bigby Wolf tries to solve a series of murders. As with all Telltale games, your choices matter in this one, especially the option to pick it up right now for just $5.99.
