Steam Summer Sale 2021: Our Favorite Games Under $10
The Steam Summer Sale is back once more, bringing thousands of steep discounts across Steam's catalog of PC games and a new Choose Your Own Adventure-style theme. It's a great time to snag any Steam games on your wishlist--they're likely on sale for their best price yet--but the Steam Summer Sale is always a great time to discover new games for your backlog. The best part is that, even if you're on a strict budget, you can find plenty of cheap games for $10 or less during the Steam Summer Sale. You don't have to break the bank to pick up great titles across nearly every genre, and many of them may be hidden gems that hadn't crossed your radar yet. We know there's a lot to wade through in the Steam Summer Sale, so we've rounded up some of our favorite games available for $10 or less right now. Let us know in the comments down below what you're planning to pick up! Plus, check out our full guide to the best Steam Summer Sale deals this year.
Celeste
$5 (75% off) By now, you've probably heard about Celeste. It's a beautiful platformer with smart mechanics, focusing on the story of a young woman battling to climb a mountain. Along the way, she encounters characters who have failed in a similar ambition, while also confronting her own self-doubts. It's a surprisingly well-told story for a platforming game that takes lessons from throughout the genre, from Super Mario Bros. to Super Meat Boy. Coupled with a gorgeous art style and phenomenal soundtrack, Celeste goes beyond what we usually see in games of this stripe to marry its introspective, character-driven storytelling with top-tier, great-feeling platforming mechanics. It's as affecting as it is a blast to play. — Phil Hornshaw, editor
Far Cry 5
$9 (85% off) For over-the-top FPS action on a budget, Far Cry 5 is an extremely fun option. Far Cry 5 takes place in a fictional rural county in Montana that's largely controlled by a dangerous religious cult. While the story winds up not saying much at all, the open-world hijinks you get into throughout the adventure provide a compelling reason to stick around to the end. The dynamic open world is chock-full of interesting content, and part of the fun here is seeing what kind of mess you can make with the wild guns and vehicles at your disposal. With explosions galore, combat that feels every bit as good as it looks, and a world that feels like a chaotic playground, Far Cry 5 is FPS comfort food. It's also a pretty great time to check it out considering Far Cry 6 releases October 7. — Steven Petite, associate editor
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa
$6 (60% off) On the surface, The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa looks to be a throwback to classic retro action games like River City Ransom or Final Fight. It certainly pays a hearty tribute to the classics, but what makes this action game made by a lone developer so great is that it blends beat-em-up style action with an RPG, where you'll need to explore the small town and hang out with your friends. In a similar vein to games like Yakuza or Persona 5, you'll be able to bond with your closest friends by going to the movies, playing ping-pong on the roof of your school, grab lunch at local diners, and yes, get into scrapes with local gangs who walk onto your turf. Now at the low price of $6, The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a fun sendup to classic action games that has some surprisingly touching moments where you get to hang out with your closest pals. I totally recommend it for those looking for a laidback and cool action game to dive into. — Alessandro Fillari, editor
Gris
$6.79 (60% off) Gris is a gorgeous platformer about a young woman going through the stages of grief, which affects her view of reality and sends her on a journey of emotional growth. The story comes not through dialogue but rather the gorgeous, ever-shifting setting, elegantly beautiful soundtrack, and the abilities she unlocks along her path, which manifest within her dress. On sale for just $6.79 during the Steam Summer Sale, Gris is an emotional, heartfelt game with a mysterious world to explore and unforgettable sound design. If you've played Journey and loved it, you'll fully enjoy what Gris has to offer. — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
If Found...
$8.44 (35% off) Annapurna Interactive's If Found is a visually stunning story about a woman named Kasio and her struggles through young adulthood, including clashes with a family who won't accept her and complicated relationships with friends. With minimalist hand-drawn art and a unique erasure mechanic, If Found tells an unforgettable story set in Ireland in 1993, interspersed with sci-fi scenes where Kasio floats about in space investigating a black hole threatening the entire world. Yes, that may sound a bit wild, but it all comes together to tell a story that's heartfelt and altogether mesmerizing. — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition
$7.49 (75% off) Little Nightmares is a dark and whimsical platformer that follows a little girl in a yellow raincoat called Six, who must make her way through a horrifying underwater vessel known as the Maw. Inhabited by large and grotesque monsters and a mysterious mask-wearing Lady who looks on from afar, the Maw is full of puzzles and dangers for Six to evade through careful platforming, and it sets up a world you'll find yourself wanting to know more about by the end. Fortunately, Little Nightmares got a follow-up earlier this year in the form of Little Nightmares II (also on sale), so you'll have more story to dive into right away if you'd like. Plus, Little Nightmares: Complete Edition gets you all the DLC from the first game, which gives you even more backstory about the Maw and other children who found themselves trapped there. — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
Moonlighter
$6 (70% off) More than three years have passed since I played Moonlighter for the first time, and I still think about it regularly. Moonlighter marries town simulation with roguelike dungeon crawling to create a unique experience that's immensely replayable. In Moonlighter, you play as a shopkeeper who sells random wares to the folks around town. Replenishing your inventory isn't as simple as placing an order, though. By night, you have to wade through the interdimensional dungeons to slay monsters and uncover treasure. Each trip into one of the five dungeons features randomly generated rooms, which makes runs feel fresh each time. The money you bring in at your shop can be used to upgrade your gear and bring new businesses to town. All of Moonlighter's systems work in tandem, giving you a bit of everything each time you wake up to start your adventurous day. — Steven Petite, associate editor
Observation
$10 (60% off) Another fascinating and experimental horror title from the folks behind Stories Untold, Observation puts you in the role of the artificially intelligent computer that runs an orbital research station. Some kind of disaster has occurred, and Dr. Emma Fisher, one of the astronauts aboard, needs your help to find out what it was--and to stay alive. You work with Emma by activating computer systems, scanning through the station with security cameras, and taking control of remote drones. It's an interesting and different way to tell a story, but what makes Observation so cool is the spooky mystery that quickly grows out of its sci-fi setting, the catastrophe on the station, and the nature of the AI itself. — Phil Hornshaw, editor
OneShot
$6 (40% off) A surreal, top-down adventure similar to Undertale with meta-horror aspects reminiscent of Doki Doki Literature Club, OneShot is a hidden gem on sale for just $6. You play as a cat-like child named Niko, who must carry the world's sun (in the form of a small lightbulb) through a strange world to a tower to restore light to the land. You only have one shot. With a great soundtrack and memorable story, OneShot is well worth grabbing at this price. And like the aforementioned Undertale and Doki Doki Literature Club, you're better off not reading anything else about it before playing. — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
Rainbow Six Siege
$8 (60% off) Rainbow Six Siege has been relevant far longer than most multiplayer games could ever hope to be. Though it released in 2015, Siege remains one of the best multiplayer shooters around thanks to consistent updates, a stream of new content, and a dedicated community. Siege's tactical FPS gameplay is unrivaled, with precise gunplay, intricately designed maps, and unique Operators that change the way you approach each match. Siege now has a whopping 57 Operators and 20 maps, and it's still not too late to jump in. Ubisoft is releasing Rainbow Six Extraction in September, but it's a cooperative Siege spin-off, not a replacement. — Steven Petite, associate editor
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
$9.89 (67% off) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard returned to classic, survival horror form for the franchise, bringing back a sense of dread and uncertainty missing from its more action-oriented predecessors. While many players have already jumped into its recent sequel, Resident Evil Village, 2017's Resident Evil 7 is still worth your time. RE7 is the debut of new RE protagonist Ethan Winters, an everyman character who is in way over his head exploring an infested mansion. It was a welcome fresh start for the series; even four years later, it still inspires those powerful feelings of anxiety and dread that the series is known for. Currently on sale for just under $10, RE7 is a great pick up for those looking for a survival horror game that manages to keep its tension high throughout its story. — Alessandro Fillari, editor
The Sexy Brutale
$4 (80% off) Time loops are all the rage lately, but one of the coolest games to use the idea of time endlessly repeating is The Sexy Brutale. Taking place at a masked ball, the game quickly becomes a murder mystery, and it's your job to discover the circumstances of each death and prevent them, while also keeping yourself alive along the way. The time loop allows you to revisit the events of the game over and over again to slowly solve the puzzles of how to keep each of the guests alive. The Sexy Brutale is full of fun, weirdo characters and some grisly (but cartoonish) deaths, creating a sort of humorous mystery that's both a little dark and a bit goofy. But its murder-mystery puzzles and clever conceit are what make it worth your attention. — Phil Hornshaw, editor
Stardew Valley
$9 (40% off) Stardew Valley isn't some undiscovered gem on Steam; it's one of the most popular games on the platform and certainly the best farming sim. But if you've yet to pick it up, now's as good a time as any as it's less than $10 during the Steam Summer Sale. The latest 1.5 update adds an extensive amount of new content to the game, including an entirely new area to explore and farm on, new characters, new quests, and much, much more. And though ConcernedApe's acclaimed country-life RPG is available on almost every gaming platform at this point, there's good reason to pick it up on Steam, as its extensive number of fan-made mods let you expand on the base game significantly with custom settings, new aesthetics, seasonal outfits, and even brand-new characters and stories (we highly recommend Stardew Valley Expanded). — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
Stories Untold
$2.49 (75% off) Stories Untold is actually four small horror games in one, each a different experiment in mechanics and storytelling. Starting with a text adventure and branching out from there, each of the vignettes in Stories Untold draws on different genre conventions, providing you with puzzles to solve and a story to uncover in pieces along the way. With a big focus on narrative, a retro aesthetic and feel, and a lot of cool ideas to elevate the creepiness, Stories Untold is a hidden gem for fans of horror games, point-and-click titles, and experimental storytelling. — Phil Hornshaw, editor
Super Daryl Deluxe
$5 (75% off) One of the most surprisingly great metroidvania games available on Steam, Super Daryl Deluxe was made largely by a team of two people at the appropriately named Dan & Gary Games. Set in a high school where things are going a little strangely, the entirely mute and perpetually gaping mouthed Daryl must venture into fantasy worlds inspired by the school's subjects in order to save the universe. It doesn't drastically differ from the genre's established formula, but you can effectively create your own movesets by combining upgrades instead of needing to use a pre-selected group of attacks. Where Super Daryl Deluxe really shines is in its hilarious writing, which pokes fun at everything from historical figures to art. That this game was written by just two people points to the pitfalls of design-by-committee and the incredible things possible when creators just make the game they want to make. — Gabe Gurwin, associate SEO editor
Tabletop Simulator
$10 (50% off) For board game fanatics who can't always get together in person with others to play, Tabletop Simulator is a dream come true, letting you enjoy virtual board game nights with friends and family from afar. Inside this physics sandbox, you can play digital versions of pretty much any game thanks to a massive community of fan-made mods for the most popular games, from Root and Goomhaven to Stardew Valley: The Board Game. It also comes with classic games like chess and dominoes, and official DLC (also currently discounted) is available for games like Scythe and Wingspan. If you already have a group of people you like to play board games with, you can also get the Tabletop Simulator four-pack on sale for $30. — Jenae Sitzes, commerce editor
Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition
$6 (80% off) Titanfall 2's campaign is arguably the best ever within the first-person shooter genre. Starring a new Pilot and his lovable Titan, the campaign features nine action-packed missions that make incredible use of Titanfall 2's parkour and mech mechanics. One of its levels, Effect and Cause, plays with time travel in a way that might blow your mind. It's also just a really fun buddy comedy that has surprising emotional depth. Titanfall 2's multiplayer is incredible as well, and even though the servers aren't nearly as active as they once were, there are enough people playing that you can still find matches. Respawn Entertainment brought the precise gunplay and fluid movement from Titanfall over to the popular battle royale Apex Legends. If you're an Apex fan and haven't played Titanfall 2, this is possibly the best $6 you'll ever spend. — Steven Petite, associate editor
|
