Massive Steam Summer Sale — here’s 17 gaming deals I’d get now (2024)

Best Steam games: deals from @ Steam
The latest Steam Summer Sale finishes on July 11. Before then, you have plenty of time to pick up great games for your Steam Deck. There are a ton of “Steam Deck Verified” titles on the Steam Store going at historically low prices right now, so you can take the plunge on a variety of classics without overly hurting your bank balance.

Grand Theft Auto V: was $39 now $14 @ Steam
There’s a reason GTA V has sold enough copies to reach the Moon and back. Quite simply, Rockstar’s masterful open-world is one of the greatest video games of all time. Its campaign sees you taking control and switching between a trio of cons and is obsessed with 1995’s “Heat”, in the process delivering amazing set pieces centred around increasingly dangerous heists.

Jurassic World Evolution 2: was $59 now $5
This park management strategy sequel has some dinosaurs. Heck, it might just have all the dinosaurs. Every major leathery leviathan that appeared in the six movies can be bred in this compelling sim. The actual building mechanics are intuitive, while the mode that lets you relive some of the original movie’s most iconic moments is well executed.

Middle-earth Shadow of War: was $49 now $2 @ Steam
The ambitious successor to Shadow of Mordor, this sweeping sequel retains its exquisitely moreish combat while spreading out the size of the battles to epic proportions. It’s not uncommon to take part in scraps involving hundreds of nasty Orcs, and capturing castles with the aid of Talon’s paranormal powers and a whole lot of brainwashed beasties at your back feels exhilarating. Also, you can totally fly drakes now.

Red Dead Redemption 2: was $59 now $19 @ Steam
Rockstar’s classic cowboy open-world is peerlessly good at focusing in on the finer details. Its sweeping map is great at both drawing the eye for miles and showing off incredibly detailed flora. Red Red Redemption 2 runs incredibly on one of the best gaming PCs, yet it also provides a solid 30 fps experience with the right tweaks on Steam Deck.

Civilization VI: was $60 now $3 @ Steam
“Just one more turn” is the rallying cry of Civilization VI players everywhere. In this historical turn-based strategy game, you choose one of 18 world civilizations (the Americans, the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Kongo, the Romans and so forth), then lead them all the way from the Stone Age into the Space Age. You can choose to conquer your foes through military might, or lead the world in scientific achievement, or become a utopia for artists and philosophers. With a ton of customization options, Civilization VI can be as chill or demanding as you like, making it great for both newbies and veterans.

Fallout 76: was $40 now $9 @ Steam
Fallout 76 is an online-focused take on the popular post-apocalyptic RPG series and the latest entry in the series. Venture out into the Appalachia wasteland on your own or with a friend by your side to find loot, quests and mutated monsters.

Elden Ring: was $59 now $41 @ Steam
A stunning open-world action RPG brought to you by FromSoftware and “House of the Dragon” author, G.R.R. Martin. This all-time great recently dropped its Shadow of the Erdree DLC that plays out like Elden Ring on hard mode. Considering the legendary original game still presents a seriously stern challenge, only the most battle-hardened of Tarshined will be ready for the expansion’s brilliant but brutal boss fights.

Cyberpunk 2077: was $59 now $29 @ Steam
Cyberpunk 2077 was always good if you had the PC hardware that was up to delivering on its technical ambitions, but there was a time during the last console generation where it was a complete train wreck. Now we’re at a place where studio CD Projekt RED has dedicated so much time to the game, it actually plays at a pretty stable 30 fps on Steam Deck, provided you dial down a few settings.

Hades: was $24 now $9 @ Steam
A gorgeous roguelite with a satisfying story and even better combat. If you can step up to Hades’ challenging boss fights, you’ll find a game that proves to be incredibly satisfying to master. When you're first starting out and are petting a three-headed dog and getting owned by lowly ghouls, Hades will test your patience, yet it’s absolutely worth sticking with.

Fallout 4: was $19 now $7 @ Steam
Long before Amazon ever commissioned "Fallout" the show, Bethesda’s engrossing survival sim was making an iconic name for itself. Though it doesn’t earn as much praise as its predecessor, Fallout 4 is still highly playable, with slo-mo combat that continues to earn your interest and individual storylines that eke out emotional investment.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt: was $39 now $3 @ Steam
Not to be confused with the flawed Netflix show, The Witcher 3 is simply one of the greatest video games ever made. Thanks to its relatively ripe age, it also runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Playing as mythic monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, every mission you accept delivers fine acting and nailed on plot pots.

Doom Eternal: was $19 now $7 @ Steam
A great advert for PC gaming as a whole, let alone Steam Deck. id Software’s first-person shooter is incredibly well-optimized on every format, and Valve’s handheld is no different. Doom Eternal is one of those PC titles you can switch on and enjoy immediately with minimal settings tweaks, which isn’t something to take for granted.

Hogwarts Legacy: was $69 now $27 @ Steam
If you’re a fan of the World of Wizarding, Hogwarts Legacy will keep you gripped from minute one. Far better than it has any right to be in an age of phoned-in licences, this action-adventure with RPG and sandbox elements wisely detaches itself from Daniel Radcliffe’s blockbuster silver screen saga. In doing so, it creates one of the most compelling takes on the franchise there’s ever been.

Disco Elysium The Final Cut: was $39 now $3 @ Steam
A masterclass in storytelling, and one that’s available dirt cheap. This brilliantly scripted detective sim isn’t graphically demanding. While controller mapping isn’t great, the characters are incredible and there’s a dizzying amount of compelling lore to dig through. Disco Elysium also looks superb, with constantly stylish visuals.

Stardew Valley: was $14 now $8 @ Steam
A peaceful farming sim that is ideally suited to short handheld sessions. Very few games are quite as easy to dip back and forth into as Stardew Valley, and its laidback appeal and 2D design essentially make it timeless. By the time Steam Deck 2 arrives, Stardew still won’t have aged a day.

Batman Arkham Knight: was $20 now $2 @ Steam
Not enough people talk about Rocksteady’s excellent trilogy-capper, and that’s something that needs to change. Reputatitionally, it’s hard to think how Batman: Arkham Knight could do a better job of showing up Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Though they both feature the late, great Kevin Conroy, one is a shallow squad shooter and the other is a superbly balanced, stealth-driven action-adventure.

No Man’s Sky: was $59 now $29 @ Steam
Another great gaming turnaround. No Man’s Sky has become a masterpiece, despite enduring a torturous launch. Thankfully, developer Hello Games’ stood up to the initial tidal wave of criticism and continued to pluck away at this sci-fi exploration sim’s core systems, fundamentally making No Man’s Sky better with each passing year. No mean feat.

Dave Meikleham