It’s that special time of the year again. When your already stretched holiday wallet is screaming for relief, it happens. The Steam Sale is here once again to tempt us with deals to fill our already overstuffed libraries. If you’ve had your eye on a game, but thought “I’ll wait for it to come down”, now is probably your best time to act.
Here are some highlights as chosen by our writing staff.
Tunic
Lead your Fox hero through an amazing asymmetric ode to Zelda and old school difficulty. This game is clearly inspired by the early Adventures of Link, right down to the in-game unlocked pages of an NES manual, complete with dot-matrix style printing. This game is a love letter to games of old, but fans of Souls-type difficulties might be suprised that there’s some serious challenge lurking under this cute cartoony exterior.
- Steam:
$29.99$14.99 - GOG:
$29.99$14.99
Megabonk
This is one I’ve been eyeing for a while, and what better time than now to grab it. In the great new tradition of indie rogue-like adventures, Megabonk offers a 90s 3D take on the formula that made games like Vampire Survivors and Death Must Die so popular.
Looking at trailers of the gameplay takes be directly back to early 3D PC classics like Magic Carpet. A perfect blend of old and new that can be picked up for quick play sessions? That’s directly in my comfort zone.
- Steam:
$9.99$7.49
Demon’s Tilt/Xenotilt
If you’re a fan of our GOTM series, you’ve no doubt played the TG16 classics Alien Crush and Devil’s Crush. Demon’s Tilt, and it’s sequel Xenotilt, are the logical progression of that formula. Pinball gameplay mixed with video game level progressions.
I’ve spent more than a few nights swearing it was my last round and then noticing the clock hours later. The game handles more like Space Cadet Pinball than Pinball FX3, but that’s not a bad thing. If you liked the classic versions, you’ll find plenty to love here.
- Steam:
$19.99$13.99
Lossless Scaling
Helldivers 2 running in Artemis
If I were limited to only keep one thing from all the purchases that I’ve made on Steam over the past year – the Lossless Scaling app would win handily. This solo-deved application is nothing short of magic. It allows you to obtain smooth frame rates in games that were previously borderline unplayable.
I can play a demanding title like Helldivers 2 on my Steam Deck at what appears to be desktop levels of fidelity, but it’s just software magic. For a solo dev to outdo the big boys like NVIDIA and AMD at their own frame generation game is no small feat. This is a project I’d encourage anyone with a handheld or mid-range PC (like me) to support. Lossless Scaling is an instant quality of life improvement for gaming across the board.
- Steam:
$6.99$4.89
Tape To Tape
My previous Balatro addiction has been moved over to Tape To Tape thanks to GameHub Lite
Still in early access, but by no means lacking content, Tape to Tape is arcade hockey at its finest. You will find just as much fun solo-venturing and building up your squad as playing with friends, but if you have the ability, this is couch gaming with friends at its finest.
The arcade gameplay leans into cartoonish violence that feels right at home on the open ice. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to watch an opponent line up for an open slap shot, only to get pegged in the back of the head by the stick I just flung across the ring. It’s that kinda party.
- Steam:
$19.99$14.99
CloverPit
If you or someone you know has been struck by the cruel disease of Balatro addiction, fear not, for there is hope. Ween yourself off that evil poker roguelike, with something slot based! CloverPit has you waking up in the first person in a locked cell.
The only way out is to earn enough credits from the slot machine in the corner before time expires and the floor gives way to a pit of spikes. I just completed my first full run, and I have no plans on slowing down any time soon. If you like a good gameplay loop for quick gaming sessions, this one will scratch that itch. At $8, it’s a no brainer.
- Steam:
$9.99$7.99
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Incredible game with no others to compare to. It is audio only, minus the menu and some dim lights here and there. You have to navigate the medieval world blind. Great story and combat system is awesome. Use with XR glasses or headphones for the most immersion.
- Steam:
$19.99$9.99
Mohrta
Guns? The tried and true original Doom engine? Dark fantasy first person shooter? Why HAVENT you played this yet?! Go on an adventure, shoot monsters, and enjoy this indie gem. Best of all? 60fps on the AYN Thor.
- Standard
- Steam:
$19.99$12.99 - GOG: $19.99
- Steam:
- Deluxe Edition
- Steam:
$23.37$15.19 - GOG: $23.37
- Steam:
Glory Hunters
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like there’s been an increase in new games being released using graphics based on old handhelds and consoles. Glory Hunters is one of the latest iterations attempting to capture the magic of our childhood with a fresh story.
According to the developer, the game is described as being “an innovative action-adventure RPG designed for the original GameBoy. It introduces a distinctive and original gameplay twist: progression is driven by earning achievements.”
It’s currently available on Steam, the Switch eShop, and Itch.io.
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