The Steam Summer Sale is kicking off this week, say Valve, purveyors of fine games and thousands of crap ones too (don’t worry, we help you tell the difference). The sale begins on Thursday June 27th and runs until July 11th. That’s a full two weeks of sun and soulslikes, beach balls and beat ’em ups, paddling pools and puzzle games. I don’t know any other objects associated with this mythological “summer” people talk about, I’m from Ireland. But I can tell you at least some of the games that’ll be in the sale, according to some bargain-teasing by Valve.
They advertised the upcoming sale on Xitter, a handy reminder. In that video they point out a few headliners, like Pokénot sweatshop simulator Palworld, princess-befriending farm ’em up Disney Dreamlight Valley, and managerial peasantry botherer Manor Lords. But don’t say how much of a saving there’ll be. They also mention a category of sales items they’re calling “deep discounts”. Which I’m guessing might simply be a list of all games on sale for more than 50% or 75% off, or something like that? Who knows.
Valve schedule these sales far in advance. They once used kept upcoming sale dates to themselves but not anymore. You can see the planned dates for all future sales in 2024 in a post on their Steamworks blog for developers, for instance. After this year’s summery sale comes smaller sales like Tower Defense Fest and Fighting Games Fest, both in August. But the next big seasonal blow-out will be the Steam Autumn Sale, which is planned to run from November 27th to December 4th.
The sales are easier to resist when you already own a catalogue of unplayed platformers gathering cobwebs and moaning like forgotten skeletons at the bottom of your game library. But yes, it’s worth keeping an eye out in Steam’s sometimes bargainous bucket for that thing-wot-you-always-kinda-wanted-but-not-THAT-much. Here’s hoping you find it for pennies.