The Steam Deal Thread V2 - Dig into those holiday games. V3 thread coming soon!

Status
Not open for further replies.
eastx

eastx

CAGiversary!
Feedback
92 (100%)
Welcome to the Steam Deal Thread V2! You can find the V1 thread (2010-July 2011) here. Read post #2 of this thread for Steam FAQs and more.

This is a Wiki post. Please read this
We appreciate you helping keep this thread up to date. The sales change virtually every day so no one person has the time to update them all. If you notice a game is no longer on sale, feel free to delete its line from the sale list. Of course, if you see a game is on sale, add it to the list. Make sure your changes match the thread's format! For example, every game that's on sale is part of an unordered list. When adding a game to the list, copy an existing line and update the link, title, and prices. That way, the format stays correct. Do not list percentages off! We list the original price and the sale price here. If you have any suggestions for major changes to the post/thread, PM me (EastX) about them.
for instructions on updating the thread.

Steam Games and DLC on Sale - Updated 2/12

Preorder Deals - Updated 2/12

Group Buys - Updated 07/23

Several multiplayer Steam games are available in 2-packs or 4-packs. These packs offer a discount over buying multiple copies of a game separately. We also maintain group buy trade threads for several games, so please use those threads if you're interested in setting up a group buy.

Free Stuff


There are several free games and mods on Steam. These are a few choice ones; you can find a full list here. Note that free games are not permanently attached to your Steam account like actual purchases would be. You'll need to manually download a game again from the website if you uninstall it.
Past Special Sales


Visit www.steamgamesales.com to check previous sale prices on Steam games. We do keep track of some older sales here though:
Steam Retail Key List

What is a CD key and where can I find it?

The CD Key is a serial number with a combination of 13, 18, or 25 letters and numbers - it can be found on a sticker inside your game's case or printed on the game's quick reference card.
The CD Key acts as your proof of purchase for the game - Steam Support may ask for it if you need to establish your ownership of an account. It is recommended that you keep your CD Key in a safe place to ensure the security of your account.

Which retail CD Keys are accepted on Steam?





All retail Valve games and a number of third-party games can be registered to your Steam account. All of the following games can be registered through Steam:
  • Valve CD Keys in this format: ####-#####-####
  • Valve CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Valve CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • AI War CD Keys in various formats
  • Aliens vs. Predator (2010 Release) CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Alpha Prime CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Audiosurf CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • BRINK CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is not accepted on Steam
  • Cities in Motion CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Civilization V CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Commander: Conquest of the Americas CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Cricket Revolution CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Dark Messiah CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Dark Messiah Multiplayer CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Dark Messiah CD Keys may also have been printed incorrectly, please see the Dark Messiah article
  • Darksiders CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Note: The number 2 and letter Z may look very similar.
  • Dawn of War II CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Dawn of War II - Retribution CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • Defense Grid CD Keys in this format (Direct2Drive only): 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Duke Nukem Forever CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • Empire: Total War CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-DDEFGH3-IJK4L-MNOPQ-RST56
  • F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • F.E.A.R. 3 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • Fallout: New Vegas CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Football Manager 2009 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2CD3FGH456I7JK8LMNOP9Q
  • Football Manager 2010 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2CD3FGH456I7JK8LMNOP9Q
  • Football Manager 2011 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Front Mission Evolved CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Global Agenda CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Note: Keys purchased directly from the Global Agenda website cannot be registered on Steam.
  • GTI Racing CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • GTR Evolution CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Homefront CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • Humble Indie Bundle in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Humble Indie Bundle 2 in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Humble Indie Bundle 3 in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Just Cause 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Note: Please input all O's and 0's as Q's for Just Cause 2
  • Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Killing Floor CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • King Arthur - The Role-playing Wargame CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Lara Croft Guardian of Light CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • The Last Remnant CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Lionheart: Kings' Crusade CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Lost Planet: Extreme Condition CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Lost Planet: Colonies Edition CD Keys are not accepted on Steam
  • Mafia 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Magicka CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Metro 2033 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • MLB Front Office Manager CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Mount & Blade CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Mount & Blade: Warband CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7
  • NBA 2K9 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Napoleon: Total War CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Order of War CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Prey CD Keys in this format: AAB1BB2C345CDD6E E7
  • R.U.S.E. CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Note: R.U.S.E. keys from Ubisoft's Digital River service are not accepted on Steam
  • RACE - the WTCC Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • RACE 07 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Ragdoll Kung Fu CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Railworks CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Red Orchestra CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Rogue Warrior CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • SiN Episodes: Emergence CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Saint's Row 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Serious Sam HD CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Shattered Horizon CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • The Ship CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Ship Simulator Extremes CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Silent Hill Homecoming CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Sniper: Ghost Warrior CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Space Trader CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Speedball 2 - Tournament in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Star Trek: D-A-C CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • STCC - The Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Super Meat Boy CD keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Supreme Commander 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Torchlight CD Keys in this format: 1ABC-D3FG-4567-JK8L
  • Note: Only keys purchased directly from Runic Games or Perfect World prior to May 19th, 2010 can be registered on Steam.
  • Total War: SHOGUN 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Unreal Tournament 3 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2-3FGH-456I-K8LM
  • Velvet Assassin CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings in this format: AB-1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM
  • Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
  • X3: Terran Conflict CD Keys in this format: 1ABC-D3FG-4567-JK8L
  • Zeno Clash CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
Opposing Force CD-keys cannot be registered through Steam. Opposing Force was included in a retail Half-Life package. The Half-Life CD-key included in the package will unlock all of the games in that package, including Opposing Force.
Note: Only the retail games listed above can be registered through Steam. No other retail games can be registered and downloaded using Steam.

Other Keys that can be redeemed on Steam (CAG tested & verified)
5.gif

The Ball (bought @D2D and tested by voken)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
[quote name='headpiece747']Does anyone know if there is a better deal than Steam for Batman Arkham City on PC?

Just finished Arkham Asylum on PC and want the new one for all the graphic eye candy.[/QUOTE]
It's less than $39 from ShopTo for the GFWL download version. I've used them a few times before, they're an established UK site, region-free like GMG. I most recently got the new AVP from them for $4, which unlocks on Steam (hey, this is the Steam thread, I should mention something Steamy!). :cool:
 
[quote name='utopianmachine']Sorry to ask noobie questions, but is the Black Friday sale different from the holiday sale, or are they the same thing?[/QUOTE]Yes, they are different. There should be one this week and then one again in December.
 
Thanks guys! Good to know. Double mega temptations in two months. Yikes.

Not to mention the new Humble Royale Bundle should be starting on Black Friday, I believe.
 
[quote name='utopianmachine']thanks guys! Good to know. Double mega temptations in two months. Yikes.

Not to mention the new indie royale bundle should be starting on black friday, i believe.[/quote]ftfy
 
[quote name='utopianmachine']What's that one mean?[/QUOTE]Fixed that for you...Sorry, I've been spending too much time on reddit, and it's starting to bleed over to the forums I frequent.

On topic: I'm stoked for the next bundle, too!
 
[quote name='paulcalypse']Fixed that for you...Sorry, I've been spending too much time on reddit, and it's starting to bleed over to the forums I frequent.

On topic: I'm stoked for the next bundle, too![/QUOTE]

Ah, I gotcha. Didn't notice my bundle bleedover.
 
[quote name='utopianmachine']Thanks guys! Good to know. Double mega temptations in two months. Yikes.

Not to mention the new Indie Royale Bundle should be starting on Black Friday, I believe.[/QUOTE]

It's actually starting on Thursday. I just know that I'm going to forget about the start with a combination of cooking and being in a different time zone.
 
[quote name='stoned99']I picked up Dungeon Defender. You also get a 5$ coupon for use 1/1/2012 on pc downloads.

Cool it registers with Steam.[/QUOTE]

Yes, problem is you cant stack the coupons and they are only for use on select best sellers from 2011 starting January.
 
Dammit, I have wanted to play Cold Fear since it's release, but with everything else I am buying, $5 seems a little bit steep. If it was 75% off, I would have no problem at all...
 
Cold Fear is tempting but I think for $5 I'd rather pass and save my money for a big sale. Might even be cheaper next month anyway.
 
[quote name='pROvIs']If anyone is interested there are a few more sales out there of steamworks games

Direct2Drive has Rage today for $29.99 which activates on steam
http://www.direct2drive.com/10731/product/Buy-Rage-Download

Amazon has Nuclear Dawn for $9.99 (anyone have opinions on this?)
http://www.amazon.com/Iceberg-Inter...9YUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321896492&sr=8-1

Also another shout out for Dungeon Defender's at $7.50
http://www.amazon.com/Trendy-Entert..._1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1321896554&sr=1-1[/QUOTE]

And remember for D2D Rage sale, if you sign up for the 7 day IGN Prime, you get an additional 15% off so price is $25.46.
 
[quote name='tominater12']$5 for a game that came out 6 years ago and has a 66 metacritic...

Lets hope steam is preparing us for their big sale.[/QUOTE]

I could be wrong but IMO each year steam sales have been more and more disappointing. Each year it seems the % off games are released at is less and less(like at first things were 75-90% off now it seems like most gamers are 50% or even less). When you combine that with the fact that the price on games are creeping up it means more and more underwhelming sales.

Dont get me wrong there will be a few huge stand outs and in general people will be happy....I just feel that now that digital gaming is not so new and people arnt as sketchy about it that prices for games are creeping up and the % off is creeping down.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']I could be wrong but IMO each year steam sales have been more and more disappointing. Each year it seems the % off games are released at is less and less(like at first things were 75-90% off now it seems like most gamers are 50% or even less). When you combine that with the fact that the price on games are creeping up it means more and more underwhelming sales.

Dont get me wrong there will be a few huge stand outs and in general people will be happy....I just feel that now that digital gaming is not so new and people arnt as sketchy about it that prices for games are creeping up and the % off is creeping down.[/QUOTE]

Blame the publishers. This is why I welcome Origin and other digital services, competition is good.
 
Well there used to be a time when there were NO daily deals.
Before that, there was a time when there were NO midweek/weekend deals.
Before that, there was a time when steam only had valve games.
Damn, you sure dont miss something without experiencing it. I dont know how I managed when there no sales. I guess I just didnt buy anything. All I had was Orange Box and l4d. If they were to take away the periodic deals now, I would have to go through withdrawl. Even if I dont buy the daily deal, I still CANT wait to find out what it is.

On a side note, I finally installed Desura and I am quite impressed with it. It has a sleek, smart UI and it even detects Steam. I had no idea that it could do that. It detects steam so that it can easily install mods for games that you own on steam. Also, I activated all my indie bundle codes on desura and noticed that Sanctum IS included for Desura. For some reason, on the Indie Royale launch bundle, it doesnt show a redeemable Desura key for Sanctum. It turns out that theres just one Desura key for each bundle, and that activates all the games in the pack. Its pretty useless information since I would rather play it on steam than Desura, but wtvr.
 
I have hope that the Xmas sale will own this year. Not saying that the Thanksgiving one wont but it just seems that the Thanksgiving sale is more of a warm-up.
 
[quote name='louiedog']It's actually starting on Thursday. I just know that I'm going to forget about the start with a combination of cooking and being in a different time zone.[/QUOTE]

Ah, thanks for the reminder. Although I'll be baking a pumpkin pie and some cornbread for a community style Thanksgiving with my friends, I should be able to nab the Royale bundle while it's on the cheap side.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']I could be wrong but IMO each year steam sales have been more and more disappointing. Each year it seems the % off games are released at is less and less(like at first things were 75-90% off now it seems like most gamers are 50% or even less). When you combine that with the fact that the price on games are creeping up it means more and more underwhelming sales.
[/QUOTE]

Overall, you are right. The percentage discounts on the major sales have slowly been going from the 75-90% off variety to the 50-60% off variety. As Steam gets more popular I'm sure they do the math and decide their profit margins are bigger by lowering the discounts. The new users still think the discounts are great. Long time users recognize the trends, though.

That said it still works out fine for me as I generally eschew AAA games until their list price drops to $30ish making the 50-60% discounts good enough.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is every year you are around for the sales, the less enticing they are as you have bought a large number of games or games in packs. The first year they did the Thanksgiving and Christmas sales I went wild. Since then it has been less and less as I own more and more of the games each year.
 
[quote name='JP']Another thing to keep in mind is every year you are around for the sales, the less enticing they are as you have bought a large number of games or games in packs. The first year they did the Thanksgiving and Christmas sales I went wild. Since then it has been less and less as I own more and more of the games each year.[/QUOTE]

I feel like I'm luckily in a similar boat. Although I've only had a gaming PC for a year, but I've gotten a lot of the titles I wanted most. I have at least 30 games to play yet. There are a handful of games I'm interested in, if they go on sale enough before the end of the year. But what with frequent sales of all sorts all over the place, every day is a good day to be a Steam gamer. :D
 
[quote name='JP']Another thing to keep in mind is every year you are around for the sales, the less enticing they are as you have bought a large number of games or games in packs. The first year they did the Thanksgiving and Christmas sales I went wild. Since then it has been less and less as I own more and more of the games each year.[/QUOTE]

I really do not think this is true. I have had others say it before, but thing is that even if I dont buy those games I still look at them. For example maybe I own Plants vs Zombies already, but I always still notice what the price is both just because I do but also because I like to see how much more/less its on sale for. In general it seems like each year iv seen the prices get worse. INstead of an Indy bundle with 5 awesome games in it we get an indy bundle with only 4 games and 1 of them is crap...yet it costs the same price.

I am sure what you say is true for many people since they do tend to not look at sales as a whole but instead for how good it is for them on a personal level. But for me I always look at the sale as a whole and I simply would have to argue it feels like we are seeing higher initial release prices and less off at sales.
 
[quote name='utopianmachine']I feel like I'm luckily in a similar boat. Although I've only had a gaming PC for a year, but I've gotten a lot of the titles I wanted most. I have at least 30 games to play yet. There are a handful of games I'm interested in, if they go on sale enough before the end of the year. But what with frequent sales of all sorts all over the place, every day is a good day to be a Steam gamer. :D[/QUOTE]

Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']I am sure what you say is true for many people since they do tend to not look at sales as a whole but instead for how good it is for them on a personal level. But for me I always look at the sale as a whole and I simply would have to argue it feels like we are seeing higher initial release prices and less off at sales.[/QUOTE]

I feel like part of this is likely due to Steam's success. They don't have to offer the same ridiculous deal as they have before because they realize more what people are willing to pay. Sure, we'll buy an indie pack of five games for $5. So then they can try to see if we'll spend $5 for just 4 games. Yeah, I think we'd all still do that. It's still only $1.25 a game.

As the install base grows, they don't have to have crazy amazing deals every single time. They know stuff is still going to sell. In some ways, crazy deals devalue the product.

Remember that bundle that had Recettear, which is normally a $19.99 game? That's a great game, and by offering it as part of a $5 pack of games, folks weren't willing to pay anything close to it's MSRP anymore, thinking perhaps they might get it again for the equivalent of 95% off.
 
You are all aware that we haven't seen the Thanksgiving or Holiday sale prices yet, right? A few sub-par daily/midweek sales and suddenly Steam is dropping the ball? Since when was steam offering a 75% off deal every day? Anyone care to tell me? Steam sales are always up and down from day to day, and there have been several games at 75% off in the last couple weeks.

Let's make a deal. If the holiday sale comes around and only 5% of the deals are 75% off or better, then you can all complain all you want. If 50% or more of the deals are 75% off or more, everyone complaining here has to publicly apologize for being a whiny bitch. In the meantime, can we just drop all the "Steam's losing it" talk?

P.S. I'm not really trying to be mean. I just like melodrama :)
 
@utopianmachine - I think it has to do with a lot of things. I think that steams succese is part of it. I think PSN and XBLA doing well despite their hire prices also has a lot to do with it. Then there is big retailers getting in to the market who demmand higher prices on games. There are a lot of things that are part of it.

@bigspoonybard - This isnt about the daily deals. If you go back ad look I didnt say this sale WILL suck or that any specific sales suck. I just told someone not to get their hopes up too high because IMO the last several years have seen a trend of each sale being slightly less excting. They are still good sales...hell probaly the best in the industry with gamefly deals. They are just not the ungodly sales they were before IMO. As I said before I simply feel like the first year or two I was using steam the sales had far more 75-90% off games and each year its went down a little to where we now have mostly 50% off and again instead of 5 for 5 indy packs with all awsome games they have been 4 for 5 and often 1 or 2 games is shit. Not complaining, just stating things as I see them.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']
@bigspoonybard - This isnt about the daily deals. If you go back ad look I didnt say this sale WILL suck or that any specific sales suck. I just told someone not to get their hopes up too high because IMO the last several years have seen a trend of each sale being slightly less excting. They are still good sales...hell probaly the best in the industry with gamefly deals. They are just not the ungodly sales they were before IMO. As I said before I simply feel like the first year or two I was using steam the sales had far more 75-90% off games and each year its went down a little to where we now have mostly 50% off and again instead of 5 for 5 indy packs with all awsome games they have been 4 for 5 and often 1 or 2 games is shit. Not complaining, just stating things as I see them.[/QUOTE]

I agree with the indie packs being less than stellar in the last sale or two. However, with all the indie bundles, I'm not too hurt. It is fun to get them, though.

On the whole, though, I think the big sales have consistently delivered, especially on things outside the AAA range. I do have a bit less excitement since my backlog is somewhere around 200 games, but I know I'll still see a few deals that I can't pass up.
 
[quote name='BigSpoonyBard']I agree with the indie packs being less than stellar in the last sale or two. However, with all the indie bundles, I'm not too hurt. It is fun to get them, though.

On the whole, though, I think the big sales have consistently delivered, especially on things outside the AAA range. I do have a bit less excitement since my backlog is somewhere around 200 games, but I know I'll still see a few deals that I can't pass up.[/QUOTE]

Again I disagree and really do think that each year the prices have been higher but eh unless someone wants to do the massive amount of work of looking in to which games were the best each year then comparing the % off and the overall price we will never know.
 
The 2010 Give and get sale prices on Indie games:

Indie Air Pack - $59.95 $4.99
Indie Puzzle Pack (Cogs, Droplitz, Puzzle Dimension, Shatter, Tidalis) - $49.95 $4.99
Indie Pulse Pack (AudioSurf, Beat Hazard, Bit.Trip Beat, Rhythm Zone, The Polynomial) - $49.95 $4.99
Indie Clever Pack (Dock Clock, Eufloria, Iron Grip: Warlord, VVVVVV, World of Goo) - $49.99 $4.99
Indie Story Pack (And Yet it Moves, Gish, Jolly Rover, Puzzle Agent, Recettear) - $59.99 $4.99
Indie Energy Pack (Brainpipe, Galcon Fusion, Gridrunner Revolution, ProtoGalaxy, & Quantz)- $49.95 $4.99

There you go: one year ago 5 game bundles for 5 bucks.

And the Indie bundles from the 2010 Holiday sale:

Indie Smarts Pack (Puzzle Dimension, Quantz, Droplitz, Puzzle Agent, Lumines)
Indie Kids Pack (Max & the Magic Marker, Crayon Physics, Toki Tori, Delve Deeper, Secret of the Magic Crystals)
Indie 2D Pack (Super Laser Racer, Geometry Wars, VVVVVV, Bullet Candy, Galcon Fusion)
Indie Fright Pack (Burn Zombie Burn, Zombie Driver, The Path, The Void, Scourge Project)
Indie Beat Pack (Beat Hazard, Rhythm Zone, Chime, Turba, Bit.Trip Beat)
Indie Fantasy Pack (NyxQuest, Faerie Solitaire, Spectromancer, Bob Came in Pieces, Fortix)
Indie Flight Pack (Flotilla, Gratuitous Space Battles, DogFighter, Guns of Icarus, Everyday Shooter)
Indie Future Pack (Hacker Evolution, Uplink, System Protocol One, Twin Sector, Hammerfight)
Indie Brain Pack (Zen Bound 2, Diamond Dan, Puzzle Bots, Windosill, Big Brain Wolf)
Indie Mix Pack (Plain Sight, Eufloria, Cogs, Darwinia, Defcon)
Indie Adventure Pack (Mr. Robot, Jolly Rover, Gish, Samorost 2, And Yet it Moves)
 
I'd like to chime in because I find myself sexually aroused during Steam sales and faithfully follow EVERY deal on Steam. As of now, I've insta-purchased around 95% of games that hit 75% and higher so I can look back on my history and dissect the trend of sales.

The first bundle that Steam offered was the "Indie Games Big Bundle" for $30. It offered 10 games.
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233103

The next couple months brought few Indie game; Droplitz and Osmos were offered for $2 each.
Christmas sale 2009 brought the Shooter Pack (Sigma) and Action Pack (Meridian4) for around $4ish each.

March 2010 brought the $10 Indie Game Pack
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253989
those games were also sold separately for $2 as well
Toki Tori was also $2.45 in March

Summer Sale 2010 was dry for Indie games; GSBattles and Beat Hazard were featured around 75% off.

Thanksgiving Sale 2010 / Christmas Sale was the height of the Indie sales... as you all remember the 5 for 5 packs came out. The Indie Clever, Puzzle, Pulse, Story, etc all were $5 and were definite bargains. It was also around this time that the first Humble Bundle debuted.

The next year, until now, had indie games sprinkled amongst the daily deals, Summer sale, and weekend offerings (like this http://store.steampowered.com/news/6305/).

I believe that the addition of Daily Deals has given exposure to many indie titles that nobody would have purchased before - often times they go 50-75% off. However, the biggest thing for Indies are the Humble Bundle and, to a lesser extent, Indie Royal Bundle. Since most of the games offered in those bundles are Steam activatable, I'd say this last year has been the best for Steam and the Indie genre.

As for Indie games strictly offered on Steam, I believe it's average. Clearly last year the Indie Bundles during Thanksgiving / Christmas offered the best price/game ratio in Steam's history. However, the Daily Deals allow a wider selection of Indie Games at cheaper prices. Steam may have offered fewer discounts on Indie titles this year but Humble Bundle has clearly made up for that.
 
I hope they have a "Louiedog Doesn't Own Half The Games in This Indie Pack" this year for $5. Better yet, how about "Adventure Games on Louiedog's Wishlist for $10 Pack." I'd buy that in a heartbeat.
 
[quote name='RollingSkull']I keep making this joke, but I'm fine with the "Non-lousy Indie Games Bundle"

But it'd be very, very small[/QUOTE]

Which are? I don't think I've gotten around to playing any indie games yet.
 
[quote name='anarchyoblivion']However, the biggest thing for Indies are the Humble Bundle and, to a lesser extent, Indie Royal Bundle. Since most of the games offered in those bundles are Steam activatable, I'd say this last year has been the best for Steam and the Indie genre. [/QUOTE]

This for sure. I've gotten all these bundles, since I'm more the type that enjoys these smaller-developer games. My backlog is nicely padded with pretty much the best of all the indie games Steam has to offer. But every sale, a few more crop up that I want.
 
[quote name='Quicksilvers']Which are? I don't think I've gotten around to playing any indie games yet.[/QUOTE]
Depends on how indie we're talking. Just self-published games would practically include all of Telltale's work, the Deathspanks, etc while excluding Bastion. Nobody really uses indie like that except to parse the word dictionary definition style in such a way as to annoy people who use it in the way described below. (In fact, it would be ludicrous to show hatred of the moniker 'indie' were it so simple a distinction.)

If we're talking the more commonly used definition of indie culture (Gag) then we're at a much more limited selection. Of the ones I have played, I highly recommend VVVVVV, Jamestown, Super Meat Boy (Less highly but still up there), Nyxquest (But I'm the only one it seems so maybe I'm just too hipster for hipsters.), Braid to a lesser extent, Zeno Clash... A couple of others come to mind but I cannot specifically remember their names.

There's loads more free and cheap games but I'm just talking indie in the most grating sense.

EDIT: Forgot Iji, Noitu Love 2... I guess if we can dig we can include Action Doom 2 Urban Brawl but that'd be really stretching it
 
[quote name='imretarded']The 2010 Give and get sale prices on Indie games:
[/QUOTE]


What's notable is they didn't repeat that bundle formula for the summer sale.


[quote name='Quicksilvers']Which are? I don't think I've gotten around to playing any indie games yet.[/QUOTE]


Indie games I've played and enjoyed: Aquaria, Atom Zombie Smasher, Beat Hazard, Binding of Isaac, Blocks that Matter, Bit.Trip Beat/Runner, Defense Grid, Dungeon Defenders, Frozen Synapse, Lugaru, Machinarium, Mount & Blade, Nation Red, Revenge of the Titans, Super Meat Boy, Terraria, Toki Tori, Torchlight, Trine (and the upcoming Trine 2), and VVVVVV. A few others, I'm sure that have slipped my mind.

Note, however, everything is obviously subjective. You'd have to pay me to buy a console because 99.99% of the games on Wii/Xbox/PS3 don't interest me at all and I find almost always have less content than some $10 indie games (that I can get for as low as $1 during sales). Your mileage may vary. If you're predisposed to a certain genre or have a higher level of graphical expectation than no one else's opinion will matter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Dragonsbane']I really want to see call of cthulhu sub 5$[/QUOTE]

For whatever reason, that game does not go on sale for cheap. I kept holding out, and the only reason I have it now is because I bought the Bethesda pack during Quakecon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top