Steam Winter Sale is live

[Stg-Flame]

This year I fully plan on taking some time off work to start up one of my anticipated sequels that I still haven't played yet, and I'm not sure which one to pick. I'm still deciding between Dragon's Dogma 2, Elex 2, Dead Island 2, Stalker 2 (probably won't be this one since A-life still isn't working right), Horizon Forbidden West, or Space Marine 2. I've also been toying with the idea of Baulder's Gate 3 or finally starting Elden Ring, but I'm still undecided and leaning more towards the sequel list first.

On to the topic though, the deals are still mediocre for most things with the big titles sitting at their normal 20%-30% off.

Steam Store

The Steam Winter Sale is on now — find great deals on thousands of games! Plus cast your votes in the 2025 Steam Awards.

store.steampowered.com

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Bummed that Psychonauts 2, which was $6 in the Autumn sale, is perplexingly double the price now.

I feel like I can't buy it sheerly out of principle at this point.

Also Quantum Break had dropped down to $8 in some prior sale, but is $12 now.

It seems silly to bicker over a couple bucks but price inflation on years old digital stuff is something I'm not going to brook.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I just picked up a bunch of games. My library is now growing, having gone from 3 games to almost 20 now. 90% of my games have remained unplayed, and I'm not sure how long it'll take me to play them all.

Nice problem to have, I suppose!

PS - Basically, with Steam, unless it's a new title you just have to play, just wait for the inevitable sales? I mean, just about every title eventually gets to about 40% - 50% off.

 

[balloonshark]

I just picked up a bunch of games. My library is now growing, having gone from 3 games to almost 20 now. 90% of my games have remained unplayed, and I'm not sure how long it'll take me to play them all.

Nice problem to have, I suppose!

PS - Basically, with Steam, unless it's a new title you just have to play, just wait for the inevitable sales? I mean, just about every title eventually gets to about 40% - 50% off.

I have an insane library of games thanks to humble bundle game bundles. https://www.humblebundle.com/games

They only have two meh bundles now. I guess that is because they just got finished redoing some of their most popular bundles.

They also have a humble choice subscription where you get 8 or so games a month. It's on sale for $49 for 6 months so you should get 48 or more games for $49. After the promo it they will charge you $12 a month unless you cancel.

Fanatical also has game bundles. https://www.fanatical.com/en/

Edit: Also check our stickied free games topic. I probably have near 500 free games from epic from their giveaways. Right now they are giving away a game a day for the holidays.

Free games for the week thread

(Original Contents Changed to change thread into a new as the Original Content was just a starting link for the thread.) This is the a thread for free games offered only. Please state which storefront the free game is offered. If its a Epic / Steam / GoG / Uplay / Battle.net it goes here...

forums.anandtech.com

 

[JTsyo]

I have an insane library of games thanks to humble bundle game bundles. https://www.humblebundle.com/games

They only have two meh bundles now. I guess that is because they just got finished redoing some of their most popular bundles.

They also have a humble choice subscription where you get 8 or so games a month. It's on sale for $49 for 6 months so you should get 48 or more games for $49. After the promo it they will charge you $12 a month unless you cancel.

Fanatical also has game bundles. https://www.fanatical.com/en/

Edit: Also check our stickied free games topic. I probably have near 500 free games from epic from their giveaways. Right now they are giving away a game a day for the holidays.

Free games for the week thread

(Original Contents Changed to change thread into a new as the Original Content was just a starting link for the thread.) This is the a thread for free games offered only. Please state which storefront the free game is offered. If its a Epic / Steam / GoG / Uplay / Battle.net it goes here...

forums.anandtech.com

Yea, I also have a bunch of free games from Amazon Prime Gaming, though the bulk of that is in GOG.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Picked up Rocksmith 2014 Remastered off Steam and snagged the 6.5 to USB cable from Amazon.

It's a solid non-subscription method to learn how to play a guitar and looks like it will be fun for me and the kids to make a habit.

I was messing around with it today with my Daughter's Fender Young Adult guitar (shorter, thinner neck than a standard electric guitar) and it's a really great gamified learning tool.

It has a bit of trouble with registering the high numbered frets correctly because of the slightly altered config of the youth guitar (and my hands are cramping up trying to play the damn thing) so I might have another guitar in my future.

 

[biostud]

Bummed that Psychonauts 2, which was $6 in the Autumn sale, is perplexingly double the price now.

I feel like I can't buy it sheerly out of principle at this point.

Also Quantum Break had dropped down to $8 in some prior sale, but is $12 now.

It seems silly to bicker over a couple bucks but price inflation on years old digital stuff is something I'm not going to brook.

Can't you find a site to buy a steam key, where you can get it close to autumn prices?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Can't you find a site to buy a steam key, where you can get it close to autumn prices?

-Im sure I can, but I'm not exactly suffering for choice with my library of 250+ games (130 completed).

I sat down to game yesterday and I was bouncing around between AvP (2011), DX: Mankind Divided, Dawn of War 3, and Dragon's Dogma.

I played all three this year but for whatever reason didn't see them through to the end.

So I have the luxury of just waiting. Yeah I want to play Psychonauts 2, but I'm not going to go scrounging around for it either.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I've picked up about 10 or 15 games during the Winter Sale? Probably, take one more look to see if there's anything else I want to pick up.

Believe it or not, I had only 3 games on Steam coming into this year. ER, DAO, and Doom Eternal (free with my gpu). Now, I have almost 25? With such a backlog and my preference for taking my time with a new game (for me, some games are so good, I just don't want it to end, because when it does, it's over. NG+ just lacks the magical discovery experience that is unique to a first play-through).

Steam just makes it so easy for you, and I'm a big fan of theirs now. I can see why they've grown so much over the years. At least for me, everything works, auto updates, offline mode, and all games are incredibly stable.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Eh sale has been pretty disappointing, but I still grabbed some stuff.

Suicide Squad (for $3.50 whatever I'll try it out)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Guardians of the Galaxy

Rocksmith 2014 (two copies, one for the wife, since it cannot be family shared)

Bayonetta

Passed on stuff like Battletech, Dusk, Doom Eternal etc.

A lot of games also had a cheap base edition and then a much pricier complete edition with all the DLC and Season Pass and etc which I won't do cause if I'm getting a game multiple years after it's released then I'm getting the complete edition given I only play games once before moving on.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Suicide Squad for $3.50? Heck, I'll try it on general principle for that price. I'll pick them up too, and try it. It'll be my first live service title?

 

[balloonshark]

Eh sale has been pretty disappointing, but I still grabbed some stuff.

Suicide Squad (for $3.50 whatever I'll try it out)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Guardians of the Galaxy

Rocksmith 2014 (two copies, one for the wife, since it cannot be family shared)

Bayonetta

Passed on stuff like Battletech, Dusk, Doom Eternal etc.

A lot of games also had a cheap base edition and then a much pricier complete edition with all the DLC and Season Pass and etc which I won't do cause if I'm getting a game multiple years after it's released then I'm getting the complete edition given I only play games once before moving on.

All the bolded games have been given away as prime gaming freebies during 2024. None of them were steam keys though. All were epic keys except for one MS key.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

All the bolded games have been given away as prime gaming freebies during 2024. None of them were steam keys though. All were epic keys except for one MS key.

-That's a nope for me dawg.

It already pisses me off to high heaven (or the depths of hell) firing up EA App to play some rando game I ended up with there. Not going to go scattering games around various launchers, even for free.

IMO I am paying to be able to seamlessly access these games on my steambox with a controller, no KB+M required (launch steam into big picture mode when computer boots and voila, you have yourself a console).

 

[Stg-Flame]

All the bolded games have been given away as prime gaming freebies during 2024. None of them were steam keys though. All were epic keys except for one MS key.

It's funny. They've been giving away free games since they started and they are still decades behind Steam. Not even free $60 games can bring people to install that hot garbage.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

It's funny. They've been giving away free games since they started and they are still decades behind Steam. Not even free $60 games can bring people to install that hot garbage.

-Because they think "Stupid ass gamers have no functional impulse control and we'll just bribe them with free games" without an iota of insight for what makes Steam great (Index/deck/proton/controllers/big picture/trading cards/forums/link/app/family sharing/etc).

It's such a naked reflection of the lack of respect CEO Fatcat/Sweeny has for gamers that I personally cannot help but be disgusted. Literally treating the customer like an algorithm to be manipulated.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Suicide Squad (for $3.50 whatever I'll try it out)

Same here. Being a comics nerd, this stuff is obligatory at the right price or free. I'll get around to it.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

I can't remember how I got SotTR; freebie I think? I have not played more than 30 minutes. In fact have not finished any of the trilogy. It's the Rick and Morty meme -
What's my purpose?
You test hardware.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Good time. Nails the Guardians comic vibe. Gameplay is alright, you need to switch between characters and use their powers wisely for best effect. Beautiful game too; dig the visuals.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

It's funny. They've been giving away free games since they started and they are still decades behind Steam. Not even free $60 games can bring people to install that hot garbage.

Nonsense. Run a search, you have no idea what you are prattling about.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

All the bolded games have been given away as prime gaming freebies during 2024. None of them were steam keys though. All were epic keys except for one MS key.

Some good GOG titles given away too. All of the free games have saved me $1000 over the years. How hard is it to use the launcher when you have to, then turn it off when you are done playing the games? I remember swapping floppies in and out for what seemed like eternity to get a game installed and people are complaining about launchers. Get rekt weaksaucers. 🤣

 

[Stg-Flame]

Nonsense. Run a search, you have no idea what you are prattling about.

Searched up Epic game store and it's still hot garbage. My point still stands.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Searched up Epic game store and it's still hot garbage. My point still stands.

Moving the goalpost fallacy

Not even free $60 games can bring people to install that hot garbage.

Facts do not support this assertion.

This is 2023 numbers, 2024 will be higher -

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-games-store-2023-year-in-review

*Drops mic* This is a Steam thread so I'll desist now.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Moving the goalpost fallacy

Facts do not support this assertion.

This is 2023 numbers, 2024 will be higher -

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-games-store-2023-year-in-review

*Drops mic* This is a Steam thread so I'll desist now.

-Valve has a money printing press and epic has this:

The Epic Games Store Still Isn’t Profitable Nearly Five Years After Launch - IGN

Epic’s expensive war with Valve over PC gamers’ cash still hasn’t paid off, the company has admitted.

www.ign.com

I'd bet good money a bunch of EGS engagement is Fortnite and Fortnite only.

They consider Alan Wake 2 one of their most engaged titles and even remedy says that game didn't make money and sales have languished.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Obviously, I much prefer GOG's model, but most of the games I really want to play (FromSoft titles) are not on there. I can only assume it's because of piracy concerns?

Anyway, Steam is just way more convenient than any alternative out there, in my view. At this point, the only way I'd even consider spending time with a second digital game platform is if they were to offer, say, new games from From, LOP DLC or the next BMW series.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

-Valve has a money printing press and epic has this:

The Epic Games Store Still Isn’t Profitable Nearly Five Years After Launch - IGN

Epic’s expensive war with Valve over PC gamers’ cash still hasn’t paid off, the company has admitted.

www.ign.com

I'd bet good money a bunch of EGS engagement is Fortnite and Fortnite only.

They consider Alan Wake 2 one of their most engaged titles and even remedy says that game didn't make money and sales have languished.

Red herring fallacy. Do you even lift debate bro?

Let's try this again. The claim was that gamers are not using Epic. That is factually incorrect. Profitability is an entirely different discussion.

 

[biostud]

The difference is that Epic is just a store, while steam is much more.

I prefer steam, but keep Epic for the free games.

And in reality I play World of Tanks 90% of the time so it really doesn't matter to me.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

The difference is that Epic is just a store, while steam is much more.

I prefer steam, but keep Epic for the free games.

And in reality I play World of Tanks 90% of the time so it really doesn't matter to me.

That's why the cult like resistance to other launchers makes little sense to me. It isn't like it's only AAA stuff either. Amazon and Epic giveaway a lot of indy and smaller dev titles too. If you want to do the Buddy the Elf - I just like Steam, Steam is my favorite. Cool. But I promise, Lord Gaben won't excommunicate you for grabbing free games elsewhere.