PC Games On Steam You Should Only Buy If They Go On Sale

One of the biggest reasons PC gaming has become so attractive in the last couple of decades is the scope and frequency of video game discounts. Anyone who's been with Steam since the beginning knows how wild its many annual sales can get, to the point that users still regularly crack jokes about their wallets being decimated when one rolls around. It's not nearly as intense as it was back when flash sales were still a thing, but Steam sales are still one of the best ways to get games on the cheap.

Besides the obvious benefit of saving a few bucks, the big discounts of Steam sales also provide a handy excuse to pick up games that you may have otherwise been reluctant to drop the cash on. Whether it's because the game doesn't quite meet your personal standards or because getting the complete experience would price you out of house and home, the Steam sales provide the window of opportunity you've been looking for. Here are a few games that you might consider picking up the next time a sale rolls around.

In the last few generations, a handful of games have toyed around with the idea of asymmetrical multiplayer, which is a competitive format where one player has a distinct advantage over a team of weaker players. "Dead by Daylight," which first arrived on Steam in 2016, is one of the few games to really get this paradigm down, evidenced by the fact that the game has been going strong for the better part of a decade now. Whether you're a plucky Survivor, running and hiding, or a bloodthirsty Killer stalking your prey, there's a role for just about everyone to enjoy.

The base version of "Dead by Daylight" isn't very expensive, but that's because it only includes a handful of Survivors and Killers. However, If you want to get the best experience by gaining access to a lot of different game mechanics and additional perks, you gotta buy the DLC.

Each DLC pack can range from $5 to $12 in individual price depending on their scope, which means that if you want to unlock every single Survivor and Killer in the game, it could set you back quite a bit. As such, the best option is to wait for a sale, grab the base game cheap, and then choose the DLC content you want to unlock.

"We Happy Few," released in 2018, was one of the last major gaming Kickstarter success stories, pulling in over $200,000 in crowdsourced funding before getting picked up by publisher Gearbox. The game revolves around a cool idea, as it is set in an Orwellian British city where the populace is forced to take a designer drug to forget their unpleasant memories. As one of several folks with a fierce desire to reclaim their memories, you'll need to hide in plain sight with careful doses of Joy, all while quietly taking down police officers and rabid citizens as you explore the city.

Unfortunately, the game ran into some well-documented problems during its exceptionally rocky launch, caused in no small part by many bugs and glitches alongside some questionable design choices. In the years since the developers have managed to clean up a good chunk of the problems, so the game is at least consistently playable now. If you have a fondness for stories like "Nineteen Eighty-Four" or "Fahrenheit 451," then "We Happy Few" may be worth checking out — if you can find it on sale. If you see it on Steam at a steep discount, consider picking it up.

Before anyone gets mad at us, let us quickly clarify — 2019's "Death Stranding" is a great game. It combines Hideo Kojima's signature off-beat storytelling and worldbuilding with a surprisingly engrossing world traversal system that's easy to lose yourself in. At least, until an invisible monster shows up to maul you.

However, "Death Stranding" is also an exceptionally dense game. Due to the length and frequency of its cutscenes and general low-key gameplay, it can take a good few hours for it to really get going and suck you into its primary loop. There's a distinct chance you won't know if you actually like this game until well past Steam's refund cutoff point. 

So while we do recommend this game, it definitely isn't for everyone. As such, the next best option would be to try and get it on sale. At least that way, if you end up not liking it, it won't sting as much.

Since 1991, Sid Meier's "Civilization" series has been the gold standard for the grand strategy genre. It may not be the only series where you can start your own country and chart its progress through the ages, but it's definitely one of the most highly regarded, and the most recent entry, 2016's "Civilization 6," is no exception. Whether you're playing the long game against your friends' nations or just want a quick bit of pickup culture, "Civilization 6" provides the best possible means to do so.

"Civilization 6" is a perfectly complete experience at its base — although that base game does cost the usual $60. If you end up really liking the game, you're going to want to get all of the DLC, and that DLC is quite pricey, ranging from $5 to a whopping $40 per pack. While the DLC isn't explicitly required to get in on the "Civilization" scene, you do kind of need it if you want to have the most detailed game that you can play against the most possible players. 

If there's a good sale on Steam, you may at least be able to get the base game and one or two of its major expansions for the total price of what the core game usually costs.

Everyone has had a dream of owning their own zoo at some point in their lives. The idea of being surrounded by cute animals and nature has its appeal, though obviously, it's extremely hard work in real life. The next best thing is 2019's "Planet Zoo," the ultimate zoo-building simulator. You can build up your nature park from scratch, fill it up with your favorite animals, and learn more about their habits and habitats. It's fun and educational!

Amusingly, though, there's one aspect of "Planet Zoo" that's annoyingly true to life — operational costs. The base game costs $45, and there are 15 DLC packs, each costing at least $10. Each pack adds more animals and environments from different parts of the world, which means if your favorite critter isn't in the base game, you're gonna have to shell out for it. 

The game's Ultimate Edition, with all of the DLC included, costs over $150, and that's with a complimentary 15% discount. If you want the complete experience, waiting for a big discount is borderline required.