The 20 Essential Games You Should Pick Up During the Steam Winter Sale 2024

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

• Release Date — November 20, 2024
• Publisher — GSC Game World
• Developer — GSC Game World
• Genre — FPS, Survival
• Steam User Score — 84% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 10% ($53.99)

The newest game on this list, and one receiving its first-ever discount, is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Despite some technical issues at launch, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 quickly gained enough traction to sell over a million units in a single day, and GSC Game World has only continued to support the title and improve it through patches since launch. Simply put, it’s one of the best and most immersive first-person shooter/survival horror hybrids you’ll ever play, and the game perfectly captures the isolation and tension of wandering an irradiated wasteland where anything (and, potentially, everything) is a threat. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is in the best state it’s been since launch thanks to a couple of hefty patches improving things like performance, AI, and game mechanics, and it’s well worth picking up at 10% off if you’ve been interested.

Baldur’s Gate 3

• Release Date — August 3, 2023
• Publisher — Larian Studios
• Developer — Larian Studios
• Genre — RPG, CRPG
• Steam User Score — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 20% ($47.99)

Another excellent title on a rare discount is Baldur’s Gate 3. Since its launch in August 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 has traditionally not been on sale, which makes its current 20% discount incredibly hard to pass up if you don’t already have it in your library. There’s not much I could say about Baldur’s Gate 3 that hasn’t already been said by both critics and fans alike, but there’s a very good reason the game swept nearly every major Game of the Year award in 2023.

RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 only come around every so often, and the title finds a way to excel in both its narrative delivery and its gameplay, bringing some of the best turn-based combat the genre has seen in years. It’s 100% worth picking up even at full price, so at 20% off, there’s no reason not to grab it if you have even a passing interest in immersive RPGs.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

• Release Date — December 9, 2020 (Cyberpunk 2077); September 25, 2023 (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)
• Publisher — CD Projekt RED
• Developer — CD Projekt RED
• Genre — RPG, FPS
• Steam User Score — 84% (Cyberpunk 2077, Very Positive), 89% (Phantom Liberty, Very Positive)
• Discount — 48% ($46.90)

CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that, at launch, garnered plenty of negative attention thanks to the technical state it arrived in. Since that launch, to its credit, CDPR has worked tirelessly to transform Cyberpunk 2077 into what was promised at its initial reveal all those years ago, and the game now stands as one of the single greatest RPGs available across any platform.

The base game normally goes on sale for as little as $19.99 (which is currently on the Steam Winter Sale), but its Phantom Liberty expansion rarely gets a discount. You can pick up Cyberpunk 2077‘s Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and the unmissable Phantom Liberty expansion, for nearly 50% off right now, and it’s honestly one of the best deals seen on that package yet. Phantom Liberty is arguably some of the best content in Cyberpunk, so grabbing it along with the base game is practically a necessity.

Like a Dragon Series Starter Pack

• Release Date — November 10, 2020 (Yakuza: Like a Dragon); January 25, 2024 (Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)
• Publisher — Sega
• Developer — Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Genre — JRPG
• Steam User Score — 94% (Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Very Positive), 91% (Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Very Positive)
• Discount — 53% ($42.73)

The Yakuza series’ full transformation into a JRPG has been nothing short of amazing, going from one of the best and most immersive open-world beat ’em ups to an incredibly deep and rewarding role-playing experience. This year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is one of 2024’s best RPGs, and it’s currently on a substantial discount. The deluxe edition of the game (which includes a New Game + mode along with a DLC-exclusive dungeon) is on sale for $42, down from its normal $70, but there’s an even better deal available on the Steam Winter Sale. Players can currently grab Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the series’ first introduction to new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, along with this year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for just under $43, which is a small price to pay for roughly 200 hours of content across two excellent RPGs.

Prince of Persia Franchise Bundle

• Release Date — December 3, 2003 (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) to August 8, 2024 (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown)
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Developer — Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Montpellier, Evil Empire
• Genre — Action, Adventure, Roguelike, Metroidvania
• Steam User Score — 68% (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Mixed) to 85% (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Very Positive)
• Discount — 70% ($40.43)

The Steam sales are typically a great time to pick up bundles containing an entire franchise’s worth of games, several of which will feature even deeper discounts if you happen to already own one or more titles in the bundle. One of the standouts from the 2024 Steam Winter Sale is the Prince of Persia bundle, which contains every single modern Prince of Persia game — from 2003’s legendary Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time through 2024’s excellent Prince of Persia Metroidvania and side-scrolling action roguelike. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is typically $39.99 on its own and well worth that price, so to get it and every other modern game in the franchise for the same price is practically a no-brainer. This bundle is one of the best “bang for your buck” propositions in the sale.

Final Fantasy XVI

• Release Date — September 17, 2024
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Developer — Square Enix
• Genre — JRPG, Character Action
• Steam User Score — 80% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 25% ($37.49)

The most recent mainline Final Fantasy game just made it to PC in September of this year, and it’s already 25% off on its best discount yet. Along with one of the best stories of any Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy XVI boldly reinvents the series’ combat model to be something more action-oriented, blending real-time character action combat with more traditional RPG elements. It’s a polarizing mix, to be sure, with many fans turned off by Final Fantasy XVI‘s many deviations from series norms. Personally, I loved Final Fantasy XVI, even as a longtime fan since the release of the original on NES, and it looks better than ever running on current-gen PC hardware. If you’ve been on the fence about picking it up thanks to its polarizing reception, now might be the best time to grab Final Fantasy XVI.

Elden Ring

• Release Date — February 24, 2022
• Publisher — FromSoftware, Bandai Namco
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Genre — Soulslike, RPG, Open World
• Steam User Score — 92% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 40% ($35.99)

2022’s Game of the Year (and, legitimately, one of the greatest action RPGs ever made), Elden Ring is currently on its best discount yet as part of the 2024 Steam Winter Sale. With Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team at FromSoftware have taken over a decade of experience from the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne and translated it into a sprawling, immersive, open-world action RPG with near-endless build variety and some of the most rewarding exploration and boss fights. Notably, Elden Ring is perhaps the most “accessible” of the Soulslike games thanks to how it approaches progression, with players free to leave, explore, and level up when they hit a bottleneck rather than run up against a brick wall. At $35.99, Elden Ring is a bargain if you don’t already have it, and it’s one of the best deals of the sale given how much replayability it has.

Lies of P

• Release Date — September 18, 2023
• Publisher — NEOWIZ
• Developer — NEOWIZ
• Genre — Soulslike, Action, RPG
• Steam User Score — 92% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 40% ($35.99)

Speaking of Soulslikes, NEOWIZ’s excellent Lies of P is currently on sale for the same price as Elden Ring. Lies of P is one of the few Soulslikes from a non-FromSoftware studio that meets the quality of the subgenre’s creators, living up to its place as a sort of spiritual successor to FromSoftware’s gothic horror masterpiece, Bloodborne. While it might not offer the same kind of gameplay length or replayability as Elden Ring, the combat in Lies of P is incredibly strong. Any Soulslike fans who have yet to try Lies of P or who have been waiting for a sale to pick it up have every reason to grab it right now, as it’s currently at its lowest-ever price and well worth the cost of admission.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

• Release Date — August 12, 2022
• Publisher — PlayStation Publishing LLC
• Developer — Insomniac Games, Nixxes Software
• Genre — Action, Open World
• Steam User Score — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 50% ($29.99)

Sony has been bringing many of its first-party exclusives to PC (a trend it has committed to continuing moving forward), and one of the best is undoubtedly Marvel’s Spider-Man. Building on the foundation of great superhero games established by Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham trilogy, Spider-Man perfectly captures the feeling of what it would be like to be the web-slinger, giving players the first-hand experience of swinging around a stunningly recreated New York City along with some excellent combat and high-spectacle boss fights. Spider-Man is currently 50% off and well worth the $30 asking price.

Persona 5 Royal

• Release Date — October 21, 2022
• Publisher — Sega
• Developer — Atlus
• Genre — JRPG, Social Sim
• Steam User Score — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 60% ($23.99)

As someone who fell in love with gaming thanks to JRPGs, the genre will always hold a special place for me. Knowing that, when a game comes along that recaptures the same feeling of playing the classics from the 16 and 32-bit eras, I stand up and take notice. Persona 5 is one of the best JRPGs ever made, full stop, and the Royal edition takes an already timeless classic and only makes it better through the addition of some excellent new content that fleshes out the story and smoothes out some of the gameplay pacing. Persona 5 Royal will regularly go on sale for its current price of $23.99, which is a steep 60% discount that sweetens an already great deal.

Resident Evil 4

• Release Date — March 23, 2023
• Publisher — Capcom
• Developer — Capcom
• Genre — Survival Horror, Action
• Steam User Score — 97% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 50% ($19.99)

Survival horror games are experiencing some really great discounts as part of the 2024 Steam Winter Sale, with one of the most noteworthy being 2023’s phenomenal remake of Resident Evil 4. Aside from its stunning visuals and faithful reimagining of one of the greatest action games ever made, Resident Evil 4 introduces some surprising new gameplay elements to the experience and looks and runs great on PC. The title received a permanent price decrease from $60 to $40 this year, and it’s currently half-off for a very reasonable $19.99. It’s worth $20 to play Resident Evil 4 just once, but that the game offers a ton of replayability and unlockables makes this deal one that’s hard to pass up.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

• Release Date — May 16, 2024
• Publisher — Annapurna Interactive
• Developer — Simogo
• Genre — Puzzle, Survival Horror
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 25% ($18.74)

Simogo’s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is both one of the year’s best indie games and one of its best puzzle games, and it’s now back on sale again as part of the Steam Winter Sale. The title has yet to dip below the $15 mark, which is truly a sort of “sweet spot” for indie games, but for under $20, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more evocative and atmospheric game with plenty of substance to back up its style. Lorelei has some incredibly complex and mind-bending puzzles along with a strong narrative complete with horror elements, and it’s a safe pick-up for anyone on the hunt for a unique experience.

Balatro + Slay the Spire Bundle

• Release Date — January 23, 2019 (Slay the Spire); February 20, 2024 (Balatro)
• Publisher — MegaCrit (Slay the Spire), Playstack (Balatro)
• Developer — MegaCrit (Slay the Spire), LocalThunk (Balatro)
• Genre — Deckbuilder, Roguelike
• Steam User Score — 97% (Slay the Spire, Overwhelmingly Positive), 98% (Balatro, Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 78% ($17.76)

LocalThunk’s Balatro swept the indie award categories at The Game Awards, to absolutely no one’s surprise, and it’s currently on a very rare 10% discount, bringing the already inexpensive title down to just $13. But the Steam Winter Sale has an even better deal, putting Balatro alongside the incredible Slay the Spire in a roguelike deckbuilder bundle that’s less than $20. For $17.76, players can get not one, but two of the best roguelikes available, both of which have literally hundreds of hours of potential replay value. The only reason to not grab this bundle (already than having both games) is because you value any semblance of productivity.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Master Edition

• Release Date — August 8, 2018
• Publisher — Capcom
• Developer — Capcom
• Genre — Action, RPG, Open World
• Steam User Score — 88% (Monster Hunter World, Very Positive), 57% (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Mixed)
• Discount — 73% ($15.98)

For $16, players can currently grab the Master Edition of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. This package includes both the base game of Monster Hunter World and the deluxe edition of its sole DLC expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Like Cyberpunk and the Phantom Liberty expansion, Monster Hunter World isn’t complete without also having Iceborne, and you can currently grab both of them together for a hefty 73% discount. Together, that’s about 500 hours of Monster Hunter World goodness for less than $20. And with Monster Hunter Wilds quickly approaching, there’s no better time than now to see what the Monster Hunter series is all about.

Against the Storm

• Release Date — December 8, 2023
• Publisher — Hooded Horse
• Developer — Eremite Games
• Genre — Roguelike, City Builder
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 50% ($14.99)

I’ve talked a lot about what makes Against the Storm great previously, but the title might have seemed like a non-starter for some at its original $30 price point. This city-builder/roguelike hybrid is now 50% off during the Steam Winter Sale, and there’s even a demo to check out if you’ve been on the fence about picking it up. I’m not really a huge fan of city-builders in general, but something about Against the Storm makes it incredibly hard to put down. The game captures the best part of a city-builder game (the initial first hours) and translates it into a compelling 30-60 minute game loop where you get to gather resources, build settlements, and then start all over again thanks to an encroaching, devastating storm. For a roguelike that nails both a satisfying gameplay loop and worthwhile meta progression, look no further.

Dead Space

• Release Date — January 27, 2023
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Developer — Motive
• Genre — Survival Horror, Sci-Fi
• Steam User Score — 91% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 75% ($14.99)

Along with Resident Evil 4, Dead Space was another near-perfect remake of a survival horror classic. It’s currently down to a startling $14.99, reaching its lowest price yet. Motive deserves recognition for how it carefully balanced the original Dead Space experience with a jaw-dropping visual upgrade, and it’s a testament to how great the original is that the remake still feels fresh 15 years later. Dead Space is worth grabbing at any price, but at 75% off it’s an essential addition to any survival horror fan’s library.

Dredge

• Release Date — March 30, 2023
• Publisher — Team17
• Developer — Black Salt Games
• Genre — Fishing, Simulation, Survival Horror
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Discount — 50% ($12.49)

The concept of a survival horror fishing simulator is not likely to be something that speaks to a lot of players, but missing out on Dredge would be a mistake. Few games do as great a job of capturing the existential dread and unease central to Lovecraftian fiction as Dredge. On top of that, it’s just a great fishing sim that expertly layers its systems on top of one another to create a whole package with plenty of mechanical depth that never feels overwhelming. It’s currently 50% off, which means anyone who may have heard about how great it was (but maybe held off due to the genre description) can dive in at a lower risk.

Control: Ultimate Edition

• Release Date — August 27, 2020
• Publisher — 505 Games
• Developer — Remedy Entertainment
• Genre — Action, Sci-Fi, Survival Horror
• Steam User Score — 88% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 80% ($7.99)

The first title that’s an essential “$10 or less” pick-up is Remedy’s Control. One of 2020’s best games, Control is currently a whopping 80% off, with players able to grab the excellent title for a very reasonable $7.99. While there are surely a lot of players who already have Control, anyone who doesn’t owes it to themselves to pick up this excellent title while it’s on its current deep discount, especially with Remedy’s upcoming co-op shooter set in the same universe fast approaching. Remedy continues to establish itself as one of the more singular talents working in the industry, and Control sees the studio at its best and weirdest.

Okami HD

• Release Date — December 12, 2017
• Publisher — Capcom
• Developer — Capcom
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Steam User Score — 93% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 75% ($4.99)

The reveal of an Okami sequel being in development was an emotional moment for many gamers, with the original Okami one of the few action-adventure titles that can stand toe-to-toe with Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda franchise. The remaster of the original game, Okami HD, is currently on sale for %75 off, with an asking price of $4.99. That means, for less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can grab one of the most beautiful, spiritual, and emotionally poignant games. Considering the memories you’ll likely make from playing Okami, I’d say that’s worth it.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

• Release Date — May 14, 2021
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Developer — BioWare
• Genre — RPG
• Steam User Score — 90% (Very Positive)
• Discount — 92% ($4.79)

Rounding things out at an incredible 92% off is the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. For $4.79, players get all three games in the main Mass Effect trilogy and all their DLC, which is an unbeatable deal. Truthfully, this might be the best value proposition on this entire list, with the Mass Effect trilogy easily delivering over 300 hours of gameplay along with some of the best combat and storytelling in the medium. BioWare is currently working on the 4th mainline Mass Effect game, and anyone who has yet to experience one of the best sci-fi trilogies across not just gaming, but any medium, should grab this deal while the Steam Winter Sale is still active.