42
votes
Steam Spring Sale suggestions
Steam Sale time again! Post any amazing games or hidden gems you think others would like. I'll start: Mr Shifty is an amazing 2d top-down that's crazy fun (especially for its price!). I'm about to get a SteamDeck, so am hunting these style of games in particular.
As always, please check IsThereAnyDeal.com for the best price from any third party store! Some might be lower.
Humble Bundle has up to 20% off on certain prices if you're a choice member, and I think GMG has higher discounts as well if you're a member.
I've been frequenting GamersGate (a Swedish shop that started in 2004) and IndieGala in recent years. They have deals like GMG but don't charge sales tax (in Canada, at least), which is quite nice since our tax is 13%.
Interesting, there’s no sales tax for digital games in the US (that I’ve ever noticed). However I do get hit with a foreign transaction fee on my debit card (1%) if the merchant is outside of the US.
Every game I played in the last few months and reviewed in the periodic "What have you been playing?" threads is discounted at time of writing. You can read my (frankly overly verbose) reviews to find out of they are for you.
Games I played and reviewed earlier than November 2023 are likely also discounted...
Bolded discounts higher than 50%.
(good deal) means accounting for how recently the game was released and general production quality I personally consider the discount significant. It does not mean those games are better. Please check the reviews for my subjective but justified opinions on that sort of thing.
Currently playing, not yet reviewed but I can tell you right now it's a (great deal) too:
How did you feel about The Last Case of Benedict Fox?
Here you go!
I bought the original Supraland (74% off right now so dirt cheap) and l liked it but kind of fell off of it after not that much play time.
I kind of bought too many games otherwise I would jump on that second supraland.
Six Inches Under is slightly more polished than the first, but also slightly more uneven.
The project started as a sort of training exercise for new employees to experiment with their dev environment, level design and puzzle design. Areas are more sharply defined than in Supraland because the development of each section was headed by a different team member. It's still a cohesive whole, however, but some areas are a little more imaginative and interesting than others.
Gameplay-wise, it's very much a successor to the first, with a semi-Metroidvania progression, numerous pickups, and goofy humor. I didn't find myself getting lost or stuck quite as often as in the first, probably because the areas were a little better defined, as I said. There's less combat, which is good because one of my gripes about Supraland was that in late-game, running around trying to find secrets or progression points got annoying due to constant harassment by infinitely spawning enemies.
I very much liked both games, but I only 100%ed the first, for what that's worth.
I haven't bought it yet, but Death's Door is on sale for 5 bucks. It's a well-reviewed indie from 2021, looks interesting.
It's really good. I played it around launch it was well worth all the fun I got out of it. It isn't super groundbreaking as far as Zelda-likes go, but the level of polish and detail to everything really elevated the experience.
Death's door is really fun! I think the last hour kinda fell flat for me tbh, but the whole game otherwise is really great!
Also recommend! It has a very pleasant art-style and music (available on Bandcamp).
I need a recommendation for a new podcast game (or games that you play while watching other media) that can be played for a long time. Here's what I've been playing in this genre:
If you are upset with diablo you might want to check out last epoch. I don't think there is too much end game content yet, but the game is structured really well and allows a lot of expirimentation before you lock in to a build and start to itemize it heavily. It is a very nice start to what I hope will be a long lived arpg.
Its also got an amazing filter system so you don't have to go through every single item like in d4. At the point I'm at hundreds of items drop an hour and I filter out 99.9% of the crap without doing anything
One thing I really liked in Last Epoch vs Path of Exile for myself is that once I hit empowered monoliths, instead of sitting down making store filters for gear, I made loot filters instead and got right back to playing the game. I really don't like interacting with markets if I don't have to. I am terrible at buying and selling and usually feel like I lost every interaction I have, even if I am coming out ahead.
I did stop playing last epoch as I've found that in order for me to grind away for longer at something I have to be trying to reach or overcome some type of content. While last epoch has a nice vehicle for grinding the gear it is going to need the next step for why I'm hunting for specific gear and need bigger numbers for me to keep going. That is just me though. Overall it is an excellent ARPG that I plan to play for years to come as long as they keep building onto it.
How do you feel about games like Slay the Spire or Balatro? Those are my go to meeting games when I'm not paying attention in standup at work.
Auto battlers are also kinda similar, Super Auto Pets (free) and Backpack Battles fall into that category.
For me personally, Assassin's Creed Black Flag fits the perfect bill of "turn your brain off" type of gameplay, especially post story because it's so fun just sailing to each new place and collecting everything.
If you have any interest in building and automation but find Factorio a bit much, I can recommend Satisfactory, Volcanoids and Hydroneer. Early game involves a lot of repetition and scouting so plenty of time to chill.
And it looks like you enjoy some zen games and Slime Rancher, Dorf Romantik and Lawn Mowing Sim are a good pick. If you want to try something weirder and enjoy outdoorsy stuff with cars, Snowrunner and Mudrunner could be a worth a shot but look up some gameplay to get a better idea. The 2 hr refund window is not enough and the new Expeditions game is a bit of a mess at the moment.
And if you like light-ish puzzles and can listen at the same time, Islands of Insight has been a fun time and is on sale too.
Ah. I like those genre and have played Factorio & Satisfactory. I like the automation part and that require too much thinking and it's not podcast-able for me.
Adding to that list I find Oxygen Not Included fun in easy mode. The early game is brutal with somewhat fixed opening moves, but the game open up in mid game. Since things take time to build it can be played with other things in the background. Unfortunately I quit to play Trails into Reverie and now I can't continue the save because they nerfed starvation fish ranching in the last patch (For under $10 and a game released in 2019 it is still updated like a live service game! They're planning to focus on a paid DLC this year though).
If anyone is buying, the Spaced Out expansion is a different experience (like StarCraft and Brood Wars has the same base unit with different balance). With so much mechanics to learn in vanilla game I'd not recommend it for the first time player.
give "dysmantle" a look! hundreds of hours of super casual and addictive gameplay thats easy to go in and out of if you need to.
Have you tried Viscera Cleanup Detail? It's kind of like Powerwash Simulator hard mode. It's pretty grisly, and definitely not for people sensitive to the sight of blood, but it's very much in the line of game you're looking for.
I played through all small-medium maps in VCD with friends. Got motion sickness but I push through. The annoying part is when your friend knock over your filthy bucket and you have to start over. Or when your friends put footprints over your completed section. The multiplayer is also super laggy, adding to the motion sickness, if there's too much decals but setting low decals limit feel like cheating.
I think PowerWash Simulator got it that the game doesn't have any penalty, like it could've simulated hose tangling, max hose distance, breakable items, filthy water, PvP injury but it choose not to. Another example is Lawn Mowing Simulator where they could've made the lawnmover drive like a car in GTA, but it choose a more realistic driving. They also penalize when you mow over flowerbeds making it's not totally mindless.
I tried playing VCD as well and also found it a bit too punishing for my tastes. But you didn't make mention of it, and it's certainly in the genre you described, so I thought I'd throw it out there.
If you like picross/nonograms I find those to be pretty ideal to play while listening to something. Most of the ones I've played are on platforms other than Steam, but for something similar I enjoyed my time with the Hexcells games. There's also always the free puzzles on the website Griddlers.net that I return to every so often.
I also used PowerWash Simulator for the same reason. After I was finished with it, I went on to try House Flipper (there's a second one now but I have not tried it), Viscera Cleanup Detail, and Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Like you said elsewhere, none of them quite hit the sweet spot PWS managed, but I did enjoy them to various degrees. They also sometimes come with periods in which you have to watch a cutscene or concentrate hard enough that you might find you've stopped listening to your podcast, so it's not quite as smooth an experience. House Flipper was the smoothest in that way, but it's also a bit jank overall. I did enjoy Hardspace the most as an actual game and if you're willing to pause your podcast every so often, it could be worth it.
There is, of course, always Vampire Survivors if you never caught that bug.
If you're into sci-fi I recommend Elite Dangerous. It is very chill for the most part, if you don't want combat you can go into space trucking/trading or exploration. You can also focus on missions which also include moving people.
I finished Slay the Princess recently and it was an incredible experience. (Would definitely recommend, even if it's only 10% off)
I'm curious what other games are out there that explore aspects of philosophy (specifically free will, but any philosophy would do).
Personally, I really enjoyed the two Persona games I've played, Persona 5 Royal which explored themes of rebellion and justice, and Persona 3: Reload that explores life and death.
I also really enjoyed The Stanley Parable (the original one) which explores free will vs determinism in a funny way. (Is it worth getting Deluxe Edition?)
Papers Please is probably right up this alley, but it's gameplay isn't necessarily the most compelling for me, similarly to This War is Mine.
Edit: Another one I thought of was Devotion by Red Candle Games, which hits really close to home because it's a horror game about a Taiwanese family
I don't necessarily know what I'm looking for. Maybe Visual Novels? Steins;Gate has been tugging at me recently. But mostly just some very strong themed games that force me to think about things for a bit maybe?
If you liked Stanley Parable, the Ultra Deluxe Edition is worth looking into as a final word on what the game is and means to people.
Oooh okay that makes sense! It's really hard to bring myself to pay full price for it but maybe I'll get to it on sale!
Also play the demo!
8!
A weird association I have with Slay the Princess is Not For Broadcast. Its the morality of media and the contrast between reality as is and reality that you choose to present.
But if you want a real mind trip with a bit more action, the Nier series has gone full Kojima and a few steps beyond. There's also Superliminal and The Entopy Center which is a bit more Portal than Stanly Parable, but there's nice voice work of philosophical ideas.
And if Papers Please is not your speed, Beholder 1 and 2 puts you in the moral grey of life in an oppressive regime with a bit more agency.
Oooh interesting. I think I have a key for Not For Broadcast around, and I do really like the almost meta theme similar to a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead type of thing.
I actually have tried Nier, I really liked the idea but never got too deep with it, maybe it's time to put it on the list! I liked Superliminal a lot, but I'm not quite sure if Portal fits quite what I'm looking for!
I really wanted to like Papers Please, but the main loop is just a tad too tedious for me. Oooh I think I do have Beholder 1 at least, I should play through that before the sale ends, if I like it I can go through 2 lol. Thanks for the suggestions!!
I just picked up Horizon: Zero Dawn (CE). I think it's 75% or 80% off. I already played this on PS4, but never finished it. My justification: graphics must surely be better on PC, so why not try to finish it on PC. I'm a little discouraged that I have to completely start character levelling over from scratch, because I recall that the game got grindy in that regard, trying to get better equipment in the mid game. I'm gonna see if the difficulty level can be freely slid up and down, so I can use easier difficulty to get through grinds, then crank it back up to max for new bosses and areas.
Firing it up for the first time, and dialing all graphics up to max -- wow, it did not disappoint. The graphics are as breathtaking as I remember, even though slightly dated. Released for PS4 2017, and for PC in 2020. And in 4k now, too! I'm going to try to play with M&K at first, see how that goes. There is no autowalk or autorun, and I'm not too happy about that, but I'll see if I can put up with it.
Going through the storyline again brings back memories.
It is certainly one of the most beautiful games I've played.
Great game. I used a guide to find out what gear I needed. Don’t really care for all the grinding so I could keep focus by just getting what I needed.
The sale is well timed for me, it's LAN weekend with The GuysTM so any suggestions for 3+ player co-op games is welcome.
At present the only thing on our radar to try together is Last Epoch.
Deep Rock Galactic is always a fun time!
Monster Hunter if you Guys^tm are willing to learn about it, I like World more than Rise, but Rise might be easier to get into.
Helldivers 2 for some hilarious fun!
We tried Deep Rock and are among the few that didn't find it all that great. Monster Hunter may actually be given a shot this weekend now that one of us, not I, plays the new Granblue game and it has a similar big monster thing going. Thanks phoenixrises!
Helldivers 2 is a no go as I don't install anything that gives kernel level/rootkit permissions on my computer.
Just in case, here's a comprehensive list of all games that require kernel-level anti-cheat. It's... bigger than I think a lot of people realize. This isn't even including kernel-level DRM which exists too.
Every game with kernel–level anti–cheat software
Me and My GuysTM (4 of us total) have enjoyed:
Raft, Grounded, Valheim, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Killing Floor 1/2, Sanctum 2
We tend to like survivaly, base-buildery stuff. Of those games, I personally had the most fun with Raft and Killing Floor. Valheim was neat but unfinished at the time (not sure how much more developed it is now). We also actually bounced off of Deep Rock Galactic — I think we’re the only group of people out there who didn’t love the game.
Games with a ton of crafting aren't my forte, so that takes Raft, Grounded, Stardew Valley, and Terraria out of the mix. We've played Valheim and it was okay. Killing Floor and Sanctum both appear to be in my library, but never played so might give those a shot.
Deep Rock was tried and also weren't huge fan, so you aren't alone there. Thanks kfwyre!
Maybe Borderlands 2 or Borderlands 3?
Check out TUNIC. Beautiful Zelda-like in every aspect. Art-style is gorgeous. Music is fantastic. Story is interesting. Gameplay is also challenging. Almost souls-like which is unconventional for this style.
If anyone has suggestions for VR games that work with joysticks and sit more on the sim side then please hit me with them! I’m talking Elite Dangerous, MS Flight Sim, DCS, that kind of thing.
Just started Judgment, but it seems like a steal at about $16 (or even cheaper from some other stores).
I also found this little game called Incarnation for $2.40. It feels like both an incredible game and a course in game design rolled into one. So many great ideas stuffed into one little game with beautiful pixel art as the cherry on top! It has the familiar roguelike structure, except that you start with all the powers and choose one to lose after completing each level. The goal is to give up all your powers and become mortal again. Controlled exclusively with the mouse. It's not like anything else I've played… and I could say that after each level because it's basically a new game each time since the powers you lose profoundly change the way the game plays.
Two games I've been obsessing over (not huge discounts but I still think they're worth it):
Slay the Princess:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1989270/Slay_the_Princess/
It's been a while since a game has stuck with me like this, I'm not even sure why. Anything more I'll say might spoil it, would suggest going in blind.
(the) Gnorp Analogue:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1473350/the_Gnorp_Apologue/
I think we have a couple of people who are into idle games, I accidentally put like 10 hours on it and I bought it literally yesterday so.... yeah.
I think we might need this title changed to "Spring" sale! I was very confused for a second reading that title.
Haha, sorry, it's been a very hot summer down under here! Changed!
I literally make the same mistake whenever I post all the time, I think steam sale is just cursed for it haha.
What did it say originally?
FYI, you can see any changes made to topics in the Topic Log in the right sidebar of the comment section. E.g. The title was originally "Steam Summer Sale Suggestions"