Best Steam Winter Sale 2021 Deals

The year is nearly over, and like clockwork, that means one thing for PC gamers: another opportunity to pick up PC games for cheap. The 2021 Steam winter sale is now live, and it brings deals on a ridiculous number of games. Whether you’re a longtime PC fan, someone who only recently got into the PC gaming scene, or a Steam Deck preorder holder who’s eager to load up on games before the system’s launch next year, you have a frankly dizzying number of options in front of you. And we’re here to help.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals in the Steam winter sale. Our staff has scoured through the list of what’s on sale to come up with some highlights that we think are worth your time and money. Also bear in mind that Steam may not have the cheapest offer possible on these and other games–Epic has a very nice sale going on with its coupons, or if you’re insistent on getting games playable on Steam, stores like Fanatical have promotions going that include Steam keys. As with anything, be sure to shop around a bit if you want to ensure you get the best price. The Steam sale runs from now until January 5 at 10 AM PT.

Sea of Thieves

$30 (normally $60)

There’s never been a better time to jump into Sea of Thieves. It’s received massive content updates with new enemies, new islands, and more quality-of-life fixes than could fit on a galleon. With the founding game direction of “tools, not rules,” every player is able to decide how they spend their time, be it chasing rank and loot, diving into the deep lore, or just causing mischief for other players. Rare’s pirate sandbox remains a one-of-a-kind game among a sea of live-service competitors. — Mark Delaney

See on Steam

State of Decay 2

$15 (normally $30)

If, like me, you never grew tired of the zombie genre (or maybe even if you did and you’re looking to rekindle that love), there’s no game I would suggest more than State of Decay 2. It accounts for all aspects of survival in an undead world, from base-building to community management to weapon crafting and so much more. Every outing in the permadeath world could be your last, which makes State of Decay 2 an exciting survival adventure day after day. — Mark Delaney

See on Steam

Inscryption

$16 (normally $20)

Inscryption is among the few games that have really stuck with me this year. It’s a masterclass in genre-bending experimentation and dread-inducing, oppressive atmosphere. Ostensibly, Inscryption is a deck-building card game with roguelike elements, but judge it by what it appears to be on the surface at your own peril–there’s much more to explore, discover, and understand as the game wears on. It’s one of the best PC games of the year, and thanks to a new mode in beta, you can enjoy both the story version of the game and an endless roguelike card game. — Phil Hornshaw

See on Steam

Gunpoint

$2.49 (normally $10)

Gunpoint is a game I’ve returned to many times in the eight years since its release, and with good reason. It’s a sidescrolling stealth game, but what makes it stand out are the unexpected humor (it packs more laughs into a few hours than most games many times its length) and its puzzles. In addition to your unusual method of movement–you leap around and through windows thanks to some fancy boots–you can hack aspects of the buildings you enter, rewiring them to set up traps or otherwise enable you to evade the guards. It’s a clever concept that I’ve never seen replicated elsewhere, and it’s an absolute steal at just $2.49. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Outlast 2

$6 (normally $30)

The greatest endorsement I can give to Outlast 2 is that when I reviewed it back at launch in 2017, I nearly didn’t finish it in time because it was so paralyzingly terrifying. Red Barrels uses some of the same tricks as it did in the breakout original, but ups the scare factor thanks to a better setting and more sickening villains. Escaping a cult in the Arizona desert is the goal, but good luck moving even an inch toward safety in this dizzying, haunting world. — Mark Delaney

See on Steam

Superflight

$0.74 (normally $3)

Many games let you fly, and wingsuits have become somewhat commonplace in open-world games like the Far Cry series. But for my money, none of those can match the sense of wonder and adrenaline I get from swooping through the air in Superflight, avoiding obstacles while seeing just how tight of a tunnel I can navigate or how closely I can get to a wall without hitting it. This is all done with a remarkably simple control scheme and an uplifting soundtrack. Superflight is normally a cheap game, but at a mere 74 cents, it’s an absolute no-brainer. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Observation

$10 (normally $25)

Fans of quietly haunting space movies such as Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Moon owe it to themselves to check out Observation. It comes from the team behind the also-awesome Untold Stories and uses the trope of an onboard AI to upend expectations. This is a space-set thriller that will unnerve you without jump scares or even a central monster to run from. It’s unlike anything else in the genre, really, and has solidified developer No Code as master of its craft. — Mark Delaney

See on Steam

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3

$10 (normally $20)

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 is the latest in my favorite series of cooking games, this time putting you in charge of a food truck “in the radically-changed war-torn America of 2042,” which is an actual description of this game and not Battlefield 2042. As with past entries, the process of cooking is simple and yet stressful (in a pleasant way). Customers will line up and place orders, and you need to manage your time appropriately to ensure you’re able to fulfill them on time. The controls are quite simple, with a single key shortcut for each action you might need to perform, and they’re all punctuated with a satisfying splat (or appropriate sound effect) that makes each key press a delight. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Gris

$4 (normally $17)

While the holidays are certainly a time for warm fires, lazy days, and mugs filled to the brim with hot cocoa, they’re also a time for something a bit less pleasant as well: introspection. However, reflecting upon yourself–and just how far you’ve come–can also be a beautiful and rewarding experience, which is precisely what Gris is here to remind us. Short, poignant, and adorned with art that, while minimalistic, perfectly captures what it feels like to grieve and grow, Gris is a charming puzzle-platformer that is ultimately just as comforting and good-for-the-soul as a cozy winter day. — Jessica Howard

See on Steam

Tetris Effect: Connected

$26 (normally $40)

I try to be mindful of recency bias, but the first time I played Tetris Effect, I knew it would be a game I would play for years and years–and so far, I’ve been correct. In my mind, it’s the best version of Tetris ever released, combining the classic gameplay with some new wrinkles and the audio-visual spectacle of a game like Rez. Tetris Effect is worth the price of admission for the Ritual Passion level alone–which always provides me with one of the most euphoric experiences I’ve ever had playing a video game–but especially now, with the game having gotten its Connected update, it offers numerous ways to play and is a consistent treat. This is an all-timer, so you can’t go wrong for just $26. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Batman: Arkham Collection

$9 (normally $60)

Rocksteady’s Batman series is superhero action at its very finest. Kicking off a Dark Knight tale in Arkham Asylum, polishing the experience in Arkham City, and eventually evolving it into an apex predator of hard-hitting detective work in Arkham Knight, the trilogy is a masterpiece of design that’s still worth playing today. The current bundle on Steam is exceptional value for the entire Caped Crusader saga, packing in not only all three games that the British studio developed, but also all of the DLC.

That includes the Game of the Year versions of the first two games, alternate costumes, playable levels where you control the Joker, and post-game DLC missions. Arkham Knight is easily worth the price of admission alone, as the included season pass adds a massive amount of extra content and new missions that see Batman interact with Mr. Freeze, Ra’s Al Ghul, the Mad Hatter, and Killer Croc. There’s also the Arkham Episodes, which add short but enjoyable stories for Catwoman, Red Hood, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl. — Darryn Bonthuys

See on Steam

There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension

$6.49 (normally $13)

I’m wary of saying too much about There Is No Game. Much like Inscryption or Doki Doki Literature Club, it’s a game you’re best off going into knowing very little. Suffice it to say, There Is No Game is an extremely clever game that will mess with the framework of what you expect from your average point-and-click adventure (or any other genre of game, for that matter). If you like funny games or those that keep surprising you with new twists, it’s well worth a look. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Dicey Dungeons

$4 (normally $15)

Indie roguelite RPGs are a dime a dozen lately, but Dicey Dungeons charmed me with its personality and a strict commitment to the bit. Your characters are all standard six-sided dice, and all of the moves are based around simulated dice rolls. It sounds simple enough, but the complexity starts to show itself as you unlock more characters–like the Rogue Dice who specializes in splitting his rolls into smaller 1-pip moves that stack. The cute concept belies a surprising amount of depth, so it’s definitely worth jumping on for less than five bucks. — Steve Watts

See on Steam

Bayonetta / Vanquish Bundle

$9 (normally $40)

Platinum Games has a reputation for crafting some of the best action games on the market today, and you can see the roots of that legacy established in its work on Bayonetta and Vanquish. Both games feature a wonderfully meaty core of high-octane action, but they also deviate from one another with unique flavors of unrestrained mayhem. Bayonetta mixes magic with devastating melee attacks and agile gunplay, while Vanquish goes for a more gung-ho approach that’ll have you sliding across levels and breaking through enemy lines in space.

This bundle on Steam includes the more recent and polished versions of Bayonetta and Vanquish, with each title sporting a few extra graphical bells and whistles. While they’re not too taxing on modern PC rigs, seeing that extra touch of visual class added to each game enhances their appeal, turning them into brilliant action experiences that play as good as they look. — Darryn Bonthuys

See on Steam

Deathloop

$30 (normally $60)

It’s no easy feat, taking the best parts of a half-dozen game genres and melding them into a title that not only works, but excites and delights its players. Not only did Arkane Studios manage to pull off the impossible with Deathloop–it made it look simple and stylish as hell. Part immersive sim, part roguelite, and all high-stakes action, Deathloop is a must-play for folks craving a game that is incredibly easy to pick up, but contains layers upon layers of intricacy that ultimately make it an experience you can’t wait to come back to over and over, and over, again. — Jessica Howard

See on Steam

Days Gone

$30 (normally $50)

Much like the source material, zombie games are an undying genre that hunger for your free time. There’s an endless horde of them, but Days Gone is a fascinating twist on the open-world post-apocalypse formula. Not just content to throw legions of infected “Freakers” your way, Days Gone amps up the danger by placing you on deadly ground in a constantly unnerving battle for survival. If Freakers don’t ruin your day, bandits will set up traps to knock you off your trusty motorcycle steed, twisted wildlife abominations will hunt you down, or you’ll succumb to a lack of resources in a world pushed to the brink of extinction.

Days Gone also looks fantastic with its haunting environments, adapting to a dynamic world requires some genuine cunning, and protagonist Deacon St. John’s journey is one of desperation, betrayal, and regret, with just a faint touch of hope in this dark new frontier. — Darryn Bonthuys

See on Steam

Tiny Lands

$5.59 (normally $7)

I’ve taken a great deal of delight over the last two years in chill, relaxing games. Among my favorites has been Tiny Lands, a spot-the-difference game that sets itself apart with its adorable, diorama-style levels that you can rotate and zoom in on to examine more closely. Don’t be surprised if you have some real trouble finding every difference on each level, which may or may not infuriate you if you’re anything like me, but thanks to its pleasant music and vibes, this is still a great way to wind down. — Chris Pereira

See on Steam

Hades

$16 (normally $25)

Largely considered one of the greatest games of last year, if you haven’t played Hades yet, you’re missing out. While the game’s premise is quite straightforward (angsty-yet-charismatic young adult is tired of living under his emotionally abusive father’s roof and seeks a way out, at any cost), Hades’ fast-paced and ever-changing gameplay, heartfelt story, artistry, and sheer personality elevate it to something more than your average roguelite. Plus, the game is filled with tons of mythological hotties, and what more can you really want in a game than that? — Jessica Howard

See on Steam

Sylvio 2

$4.50 (normally $15)

I’ve long championed the Sylvio series as a hidden, rough-around-the-edges horror gem. I recommend skipping to the second one because its more linear delivery does a good job of keeping the focus on the game’s best attribute: its incredibly spooky audio-visual design. Built on the idea that you’re a ghost hunter looking for audio and video evidence of the paranormal, the solo developer behind Stroboskop Studio went to remarkable lengths to give the entire “walking sim horror” game a jaw-droppingly unsettling mix of authentic-sounding EVP with equally haunting ghosts caught on video. If, like me, you grew up on creepy message boards reading about ghosts that caused you to lose sleep, Sylvio 2 is at once nostalgic and just as sleep-reducing as those days spent trying to erase “evidence” from your mind. — Mark Delaney

See on Steam

Streets of Rage 4 + Mr. X Nightmare DLC

$19.24 (normally $33)

Streets of Rage may come from a bygone era of beat-’em-ups, but those glory days of endlessly chipping away at hordes of local ruffians and their health bars are well worth revisiting. Developer DotEmu, Lizardcube, and Gaurd Crush’s sequel to the classic Sega series is a nostalgic and reinvigorating return to form for the franchise, dropping players right into the thick of things and gleefully giving them the pugilistic tools to fight their way out of the roughest neighborhoods.

The new special attacks walk a fine line between risk and reward, the hand-drawn animation looks fantastic, and the Mr. X Nightmare DLC adds an enjoyable mode that turns the game into a roguelike that’ll push your brawling skills to the very limit with an enjoyable series of challenges. — Darryn Bonthuys

See on Steam

Exo One

$13.60 (normally $17)

Exo One is the kind of game that excels by creating a perfect vibe. You control a high-tech space probe that is powered purely by gravity; increase the probe’s gravity and it dives, allowing you to gain momentum as you plummet, before decreasing gravity to ramp off slopes and rocket through the air. Its tight, great-feeling flight mechanics are matched by Exo One’s art direction as you explore distant planets and alien landscapes, your only goal being to keep flying and to see more places. A relatively short, chill experience, Exo One is essentially “low-fi beats to explore alien worlds to”–a beautiful game with a minimal but affecting story and light, fun mechanics. — Phil Hornshaw

See on Steam

Children of Morta

$9 (normally $22)

Children of Morta is an action-RPG roguelite that’s all about family. The combat is tight and responsive as you may expect from Dead Cells or Moonlighter, with a higher overhead camera that shows more of the sprawling cavernous structures that make up your battlefields. But the real twist comes in the playable characters, who are all members of the same evil-banishing family, and each with their own specialized skills. Those family dynamics serve to both differentiate the combat and to drive the story forward as the game takes a closer look at what it might mean for generations of a family to devote itself to a singular cause. — Steve Watts

See on Steam

It Takes Two

$20 (normally $40)

While the golden age of couch co-op might be far behind us, Hazelight Studios is here to remind us just how important these games–and companionship–are. The spirited follow-up to 2018’s A Way Out, It Takes Two follows a husband and wife who mysteriously find themselves turned into miniature-sized puppets moments before they were scheduled to tell their daughter about their imminent divorce. While the game’s narrative goes to some pretty bizarre places, It Takes Two’s gameplay and optimistic (albeit sometimes naive) message about how important working together is make this game shine and well worth you and your partner-in-gaming’s time. — Jessica Howard

See on Steam

The Forgotten City

$18.74 (normally $25)

Time loop stories have recently become a bit of a trend in games. Some use this conceit as a convenient way to provide narrative justification for game mechanics–The Forgotten City uses it to explore history and philosophy, asking you deep questions about the human condition and the nature of morality. Though it started its life as a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (and retains a lot of the same feel), The Forgotten City stands as one of the more interesting narrative games of the year, crafting a strange supernatural mystery around compelling characters and one of the best uses of the time loop conceit in the medium. — Phil Hornshaw

See on Steam

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-steam-winter-sale-2021-deals/2900-3900/