Another Steam Sale is upon us, here to clean out our wallets. With thousands of titles discounted until March 21, it can be hard to narrow down the vast selection to the ones worth buying—but there are a few games that stand out from the rest.
Whether they deserve your money, on the other hand, is up to you. But if you’re looking to score some of the best games around for indie prices, look no further than this list.
Top 7 games to grab during the 2024 Steam Spring Sale
Cyberpunk 2077
To say the video game adaptation of the acclaimed Cyberpunk TTRPG faced a mixed reception at launch would be the understatement of the century. The game’s flawed, buggy initial release wiped out all of the goodwill CD Projekt Red had managed to build up with the truly legendary The Witcher 3—but four years of constant post-launch development and one major expansion later, Cyberpunk 2077 is up there among the most immersive, content-rich RPGs on the market.
Hopping on the subway to your next gig to get out of the chaotic, neon-lit streets and stopping along the way for a drink at your favorite bar never gets old, and every element of this game works to create that sense of Night City being a real place. If you have doubts from its previous reputation, the price of the game is currently slashed in half, making it more than worth a try.
Baldur’s Gate 3
It’s hard to believe there are gamers out there who don’t already know about 2023 game of the year Baldur’s Gate 3, but let me add my voice to the chorus recommending this absolute masterpiece. Although the mechanics may chafe a bit for those unaccustomed to Dungeons and Dragons-style turn-based combat, the depth of the world and the strength of character writing is a perfect incentive to learn the game’s systems. This thing took over my life when it launched.
A mere 10 percent off the game’s asking price might seem like a pittance, but it’s worth the full 60 bucks anyway, and getting it for any less is a steal. Don’t Long Rest on this one.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
With the recent release of the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection making waves (and not necessarily good ones), it’s easy to overlook last year’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. As a more focused followup to the flawed but promising Fallen Order, it provides a fresh take on the Soulslike genre, arming the player with a repertoire of Force and lightsaber abilities and unleashing them on intricately crafted levels across the galaxy. It may not be a sprawling open world, but the Metroidvania-style exploration and knife’s-edge light saber combat (especially on higher difficulties) is more than enough to engage for its extended runtime.
Better yet, it’s a whopping 55 percent off as part of the Spring Sale, meaning you can get your fill of Star Wars for cheap—well, relatively cheap, considering its triple-A development.
Sea of Thieves
Given the recent news Sea of Thieves will finally be making the jump to PlayStation consoles with crossplay supported, there’s never been a better time to hit the high seas. With Skull and Bones failing to claim the pirate game crown, Sea of Thieves remains the most fun you can have looting and pillaging with your friends, especially considering its crossovers with the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island. A healthy half-off discount might just be the only excuse you need to talk your friends into assembling a crew with you—or you could always carve out your pirate legend on your own.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
With The Last of Us Part II and Alan Wake 2 still not on Steam, survival horror fans may have to make do with Resident Evil for the time being. Not that that’s a bad thing, to be perfectly clear—Resident Evil 4 is a classic for a very good reason, with its critically acclaimed ground-up remake bringing it up to modern standards and even receiving a Game of the Year nod.
If a 25 percent discount isn’t enough to get you to dip your toes into this piece of gaming history, there’s even a free demo you can try. The tense action and, admittedly, slightly campy story certainly aren’t for everyone, but you can just pretend you’re watching a lost Evil Dead movie and get through it alright.
Starfield
There’s a lot to like about Starfield—it’s just a shame the opposite is true as well. Divisive though Bethesda’s latest epic has been, one has to admire it for the sheer scope of the undertaking if nothing else. Although I’m able to step back and recognize the game’s flaws—over-reliance on procedural generation, paper-thin writing, nonsensical skill system—the actual act of playing it, at least for the first time, is so engrossing it’s hard not to recommend at least giving it a try, especially at its current 33 percent discount.
Of course, you could always just play Fallout 4, which is currently selling for under seven dollars and is on track for a next-gen upgrade to coincide with the upcoming Fallout TV show. Either way, you can’t go wrong with Bethesda.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
I know it’s ancient, but hear me out. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is rapidly approaching and bringing the promise of a hundred-hour fantasy adventure with it, representing a significant investment in time and money alike. There’s no better way to see if you’d like the sequel (and catch up on a bit of the setting’s lore while you’re at it) than playing the original, which still looks and runs shockingly well considering its 2012 release date.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is much prettier, but retains many of its predecessor’s core ideas. A dip into the original, currently selling for a song (five dollars, or 84 percent off) will allow you to come to grips with unique systems like Vocations and Pawns, and you might even find that the game offers a compelling adventure of its own.
If you’ve got some cash burning a hole in your wallet this spring, definitely don’t miss these select games. If a title you had your eye on isn’t on sale this time around (cough, cough, Helldivers), though, there’s always the summer sale.
