Steam Winter Sale deals have begun, with even more discounts than we saw during Black Friday. Discounts are everywhere, on major AAA games including Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3, indie gems such as Case of the Golden Idol and Slay the Princess, and some modern classics in the mix as well. The Steam Winter Sale deals are live through Jan.4, 2024.
If you’re after other end-of-year sales, check out the Epic Games Store holiday sale and the PlayStation Store’s holiday sale.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – $53.99
Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally on sale! Okay, it’s only $6 off the Steam price of $59.99, but it’s still a sale. There’s a lot of game here, too, with even just one playthrough lasting upwards of 150 hours or more, depending on how much you want to do. The variations in party composition, how events unfold based on your choices, and even which class you pick means it’ll take a long old time for this one to get old.
Baldur’s Gate Classic Saga Bundle – $16.93
If you’re keen to experience classic Baldur’s Gate instead, you can get the enhanced editions of Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate 2, and the Siege of Dragonspear half-sequel for $16.93. All three games certainly show their age, as WRPGs from the early 2000s, but there’s a reason many hold them in such high esteem still. Their world-building, storytelling, and character development remain among the best in the genre.
The Case of the Golden Idol – $12.59
If you like puzzles, mysteries, and excellent writing, then The Case of the Golden Idol is for you. This exceptional indie game follows an 18th-century detective as they try piecing together a grisly string of murders spanning five decades to uncover the truth behind the deaths and what role the mysterious golden idol plays in connecting each crime. You can get it for $12.59, and if you like it well enough, there are two DLC expansions also on sale.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – $14.99
Spider-Man 2 might be getting all the attention now, but Guardians of the Galaxy is a Marvel game you don’t want to miss. It’s the closest we’ll get to a proper Marvel RPG, with a nice blend of action combat and character building. Speaking of characters, they go surprisingly deep, more so than we usually get with Marvel. It’s a standout game in general and easily one of the top Marvel adaptations, and you can grab it for $14.99.
The Yakuza Collection – $42.00
Sega and RGG once again bundled seven of the best action games into one collection. You can get Yakuza 0, Kiwami 2, Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3-5 Remastered, and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life for $42.00. This time, for some reason, Sega doesn’t seem to be discounting them individually.
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – $37.49
If you’re more interested in the most recent LAD game, you can grab Gaiden for $37.49 ahead of Infinite Wealth’s launch in January 2024. This side story follows Kiryu between the events of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like A Dragon and sheds more light on the yakuza’s decline, while setting up his role in Infinite Wealth and introducing some of the series’ best fighting styles.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – $19.79
Any time there’s a sale, you can expect to see Red Dead Redemption 2 going for $19.79. It’s a bargain tradition. It’s also a brilliant historical game with some of the best quest writing and open worlds around, so if you haven’t jumped in yet, now’s a pretty good time to do it.
Sea of Stars – $27.99
Sea of Stars, winner of 2023’s best indie game award at The Game Awards 2023, is getting its first discount, down to $27.99. Sea of Stars weaves together the best ideas from the Golden Age of RPGs and adds some excellent modern conveniences and one of the best battle systems in the genre.
Street Fighter 6 – $39.59
The best fighting game of 2023 is on sale for $39.59. Street Fighter 6 has something for everyone, whether you’re a fighting newbie or a seasoned veteran – especially if you’re a newbie. Despite having a high skill ceiling, SF6 does a remarkable job of easing you into how everything works. Detailed character customization, an exceptional roster, and plenty of modes to keep you in fighting form online and off. Capcom’s still supporting SF6 with more characters and tournaments as well.
Slay the Princess – $16.19
Okay so $16.19 when the base price is $17.99 isn’t a huge discount, but Slay the Princess is definitely worth it anyway. Developer Black Tabby Games crafted an excellent dark fantasy with a grim, welcome twist on the timeloop formula. You play as a hero tasked with slaying a captive monster, only once you arrive at the monster’s holding place, you find a helpless princess. And then she kills you. The story unfolds across multiple loops, and how you interact with the princess each time determines what ending you get – for better or worse.
Cyberpunk 2077 – $29.99
CD Project Red’s cyberpunk game is unrecognizable in its latest form, and that’s a good thing. The 2.1 update – that’s the version you’re getting here – caps off years of fixes and additions with more stories, systems, and ways to enjoy the game. This version doesn’t come with the Phantom Liberty expansion, but with the revamped skill trees and other improvements, the base game alone is more than worth experiencing, especially for $29.99.
Resident Evil 4 Remake – $29.99
Capcom took a chainsaw to Resident Evil 4 Remake’s price and cut half of it off. The survival horror game only launched in March 2023, but you can get it for its lowest price ever now at $29.99. You’ll have to shell out a bit more for the Separate Ways DLC – which is not included in the DLC bundle advertised on Steam – though you do get the multiplayer Mercenaries mode for free.
Control: Ultimate Edition – $9.99
Control: Ultimate Edition comes with the award-winning game and Remedy’s two expansions, and it’s down to $9.99 – that’s $10 less than you can get it for on Epic. Control is tangentially connected to Alan Wake as part of the Remedyverse, though it tells a separate story, of a woman delving into the dark, sinister secrets of a government agency with the ability to hear stories from objects – including some stories she shouldn’t know.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – $9.99
The Skywalker Saga bundles together nine full-fledged Lego games in one package, and you can get it for $9.99. It reimagines the original Lego Star Wars games with bigger, better worlds, fun puzzles, and absolutely massive casts of Lego-ized Star Wars characters and an open-ended mission structure that lets you choose which planets to visit (mostly) whenever you like. If you’re after a lighthearted, fun experience, this is a strong candidate.
Elden Ring – $35.99
FromSoftware’s hit open-world adaptation of the Dark Souls formula is going for $35.99, and it’s just as grimly enchanting as it was when it launched in 2022. The journey to become Elden Lord – or break the world while trying – takes you across a cruel fantasy world where godlike beings vie for control over the Elden Ring. The boss fights are spectacular, the characters memorable, and while it might be FromSoft’s first attempt at an open world, the locations and environment design are some of the best in the genre.
There’s still the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC to look forward to as well.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – $29.99
FromSoftware put a heavier emphasis on combat in Sekiro, with fast-paced encounters, twitchy battles, and brutal boss fights, but the studio’s signature storytelling still shines through. It’s a unique spinoff that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and you can get it for $29.99.
The Persona Collection - $53.17
Sega’s offering a bundle with Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal for slightly less than the price of one new game – $53.17. They might all follow a similar formula, but each shakes it up in unique ways – social activities in Persona 4, for example, or Persona 5‘s brilliant take on dungeons and exploration. The version here is Persona 5 Royal, so you get the extra narrative arc that starts in January as well.
If you’re chomping at the bit for Persona 3 Reload, this is a pretty good way to tide yourself over.
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals – $9.99
Night School’s excellent sequel and its smart adaptation of the “coming of age” story structure kind of flew under the radar, but if you’re keen to try one of the year’s more thoughtful, intimate adventure games, you can get it for $9.99. It follows Riley, a 30-something visiting an island for an environment project, which sounds pretty tame – until the portals to another world start opening. Time travel paradox aside, Oxenfree 2 is ultimately about self-acceptance and learning to find purpose and meaning when life doesn’t turn out the way you hope it will.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
