There are always video games on sale somewhere, and a lot of the time that somewhere is Steam. That might have made you scroll on past news that Steam's summer sale has officially begun, but if you did, you should really double back. This sale is quite a bit different from most others you'll find throughout the rest of the year on Steam. There are some very big games included, some of which have had their prices cut by a significant amount.
One of the best things about Steam is the sheer amount of games it has to choose from, whether they're on sale or not. That means finding good deals during the summer sale might be easier said than done, particularly when seeking out the best ones and something that suits you. We've tried to check both those boxes by sifting through the sale to determine not only the best deals, but also something that will appeal to every type of gamer. Below are our picks for the best deals in Steam's summer sale, all of which will remain available for less until the sale ends at 1 pm EST on July 11, 2024.
The Best Deals In Steam's Summer Sale
$48 on Steam
Baldur's Gate 3 was our Game of the Year here at TheGamer in 2023, and we will not rest until absolutely everyone has played it. We figure our odds of convincing those of you who still haven't acquainted yourselves with Shadowheart and Astraion are better than ever right now as not only is Baldur's Gate 3 included in Steam's summer sale, but at $47.99, this is the lowest price the genre-defining title has dropped too so far. If you only buy one game in this year's summer sale, make it this one.
$23 on Steam
We might only be halfway through 2024, but quite a few unexpected games have swooped in and taken the world by storm already. Palworld was the first of those games. Playfully dubbed Pokemon with guns by some when it was released at the start of the year, while some of its monsters bear quite a bit more than a passing resemblance to certain 'mons, the goal of Palworld is very different. Capture Pals and put them to work, helping you harvest materials, build a home base, and survive in their world. A great time to grab Palworld as some big updates are on the horizon.
$14 on Steam
Speaking of 2024's unexpected hits, moving swiftly onto Balatro. A deckbuilding roguelike that might look like poker, but is definitely not poker. A knowledge of how to play poker will help you somewhat, but don't come into this one thinking poker prowess is going to help you. Reduced by less than $2 in Steam's summer sale, you might not think a discount so minimal is worth including. I beg to differ. My goal by including Balatro is to point even more people in its direction, highlighting how cheap it is when full price, and that it's an even better deal between now and July 11.
$42 on Steam
Palworld and Balatro might have been big hits in 2024, but nothing so far this year has gripped the gaming world like a game released more than two years ago. Okay, technically it's Elden Ring's hugely popular Shadow of the Erdtree DLC that has everyone's attention, and if you're lagging behind and haven't started your journey through The Lands Between at all yet, you can currently do so for less. The base game is 30 percent off in the Steam summer sale, and perhaps by the time you're finished with it, there will be another sale and Shadow of the Erdtree will be a part of it.
$30 on Steam
Whether it's building a city or sending troops into battle, there are a lot of games that make it feel like you're sitting in the sky and playing God. Manor Lords sets itself apart from pretty much everything else in the genre, however, by having you look down on a Medieval setting in which you are both calling the shots on the battlefield and keeping things stable back home. Build your city and make sure everything is just so while holding off those who are trying to prevent that. Another 2024 hit, and one of the newest games available for less in the Steam summer sale.
$20 on Steam
When most people hear Rockstar, they think of Grand Theft Auto, especially with GTA 6 coming soon. Just as much attention should be given to Red Dead Redemption when discussing the sequel though, particularly its sequel. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest games ever made. It's as simple as that, and right now you can get what is usually a $60 title for less than $20. Even if you love GTA and you have previously never given Red Dead a second look, Red Dead Redemption 2 is absolutely worth rolling the dice on for a price this low. I'm almost certain you'll love it.
$4 on Steam
What's that? The discounts featured so far haven't been deep enough? Okay, brace yourself. Disco Elysium, an incredible game you can comfortably lose hours to and have the time of your life while you're there, is on sale for $4. That's not a typo. There's no missing number. Disco Elysium — The Final Cut version of the game, by the way — is just $4 if you buy it on Steam between now and July 11. There are a lot of deals in this year's summer sale, but I'm yet to find a better one than this. Even if you buy this game and hate it, which is unlikely, you're out $4 at the end of it. You can't even buy a pint in Central London for that, and not only because they don't use the dollar in England.
$4 on Steam
Sticking with deals that are almost too good to be true, The Witcher 3, an actual Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards, is among the games to have been the most heavily discounted on Steam in its summer sale. You can currently embark on Geralt's most recent video game adventure for just $3.99. That's 90 percent less than the latest Witcher game usually costs. A lot of people already own The Witcher 3, and this is evidently an attempt to round up any stragglers. If you're not going to buy Witcher 3 for $4, it's probably safe to assume you'll never buy it at all.
$6 on Steam
Mass Effect's Legendary Edition has a leg up on some of the great games that are available for even less in Steam's summer sale because it's not one game, it's three. BioWare remastered its iconic Mass Effect trilogy and bundled the three games together, making it easier than ever to play through the trilogy and have your decisions follow you throughout. You can now experience that for less than ever by picking up the Legendary Edition for $6. A series of games with an incredible replayability value as you start over again as soon as you're done, vowing to make different decisions but ultimately just doing the same things all over again. You'll fall for Garrus a thousand times, and that's fine.
