Oh, the glorious Steam sale. It pops up a few times a year to empty the wallets of anyone who plays PC games. It’s gotten so popular that competing digital services like Amazon and GreenManGaming run similar sales during the same time period in order to pull sales away from Steam. Even EA’s Origin gets into the mix, but I wouldn’t recommend using that service to my worst enemy. (Be sure to check the section on Steam’s Trading Cards below!)

If you are new to the process, here’s the skinny. Steam, Valve’s PC game distribution platform, cranks up a massive sale on nearly all items in the store. The current one just started (June 24) and will run through July 8th at 10 a.m. PT. The next massive sale will hit during the winter of 2021, so it’s best to jump on sales right now to get some amazing deals. The sale period usually lasts for about 10 days and discounts range from 10 percent to 90 percent depending on the type of sale.

1. The Standard: This discount starts on the first date of the sale and lasts the entire sale period. This is the only sale price requested by Valve from publishers when it comes to purchasing a single game. It can be between 10 to 90% off the normal price of the game.
2. The Bundle: If you are new to PC gaming, this is really where you can get the most bang for your buck. Valve either bundles games from the same publisher or the same genre all together and adds an additional discount on top of the standard discount. It’s a great way to purchase a ton of games at once, typically for $25 to $75 depending on the bundle.

Patience Doesn’t Matter Anymore

The key to getting the best value out of Steam sale purchases used to be patience. During the older format in early 2015, you could snag amazing discounts with daily and flash sales. However, these were phased out in favor of a single discount for the entire sale period.

It doesn’t really matter what day you make your purchases on now. The sale price will be the same on the first day as the last day.

In preparation for a sale, I usually make a list of games that I want to add to my collection. You can use the Wishlist feature within Steam after you register for an account or simply type it out in Excel or Notepad. I’ll also come up with a budget of what I want to spend for each game.

You can also add funds to your Steam account prior to starting in order to cut one step out of the purchase process, however that’s not a huge necessity anymore due to the lack of daily and flash sales.

The Right Tools for the Job

If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, I recommend checking out the  Augmented Steam extension. It provides a plethora of added features like color coding games you already own to avoid duplicate purchases, identifying 3rd party DRM, showing DLC categories and providing a pricing history to see if you are really getting a great deal.

If you are stuck at work or on a PC that you can’t make purchases on, be sure to download the Steam app for iOS or Android phones. This will help you keep up to date on the latest deals and make purchases that you can download later on your gaming PC.

Advanced Tips

If you’re looking for information on a game and standard reviews just don’t cut it, pop over to r/gaming in Reddit and look for the thread on each day’s deals. There’s usually a solid discussion on both the quality of the deals as well as the quality of the games.

You should also be sure to check out r/steamdeals and r/patientgamers for alerts on newly listed Flash and Daily deals as well as tips on cheap prices on competing services. Amazon, for instance, competes heavily with Steam and will discount games even more aggressively sometimes. Those games can also be downloaded directly within Steam, assuming it’s a digital version with a Steam key.

If you have a little extra money to invest in heavily discounted Steam games, consider purchasing a popular game at a 50 to 75 percent discount and hanging onto it rather than installing it. Beyond trading with friends in the Steam community, r/SteamGameSwap allows you to trade game keys with others. When something comes out that you really want to play, someone may consider trading that game for a key or keys that you own. If you are creative with trades, you could come away with a new release for the discounted price that you paid during the last Steam sale. You can also trade away duplicate games from a Bundle pack as well.

Steam It Up!

Those are the basics to taking advantage of the big Steam sales. Go forth and hand over your paycheck to the Mighty Gabe during the next Steam sale. If you are interested in beefing up your gaming PC in preparation of the next major Steam sale, check out our Build-a-Gaming-PC guide here.

How to Score the Best Gaming Deals During This Steam Sale

To round out our trio of posts about the Summer Steam sale, we have ten games that you can grab under ten dollars.  Is your budget a bit tight?  Then this is the article for you!  Don’t forget to get your Steam Wallet cards from Amazon.

Batman: The Telltale Series – $8.74

Telltale is a franchise game-making machine lately, but one of the series that might have flown under your radar is Batman: The Telltale Series.  Since it’s a Telltale game, this is a more story focused than action-based experience like the Batman Arkham games.  If you’re a fan of Batman, this is worth a look.

Beyond Good & Evil – $4.99

With the recent re-announcement of Beyond Good & Evil 2 by Ubisoft at E3, now’s a perfect time to play the original!  Jade goes undercover to take down an evil, all powerful organization in this cult hit classic.  Beyond Good & Evil also plays somewhat similarly to 3D Zelda titles, complete with puzzles and battles to keep you engaged.

Valdis Story: Abyssal City – $3.74

Valdis Story is a 2D action game that also takes quite a few nods from Metroidvanias.  It’s a frantic, difficult, but rewarding game, Valdis Story is sure to please anyone looking for a nice challenge, occasional cheap enemy setups aside.

This War of Mine Anniversary Edition – $3.99

This War of Mine is a survival title.  As civilians in a war torn area, you must try to gather food and medicine while fighting off hostile scavengers coming to take your shelter.  It’s a stressful and emotional affair, and perfect for those who like games that challenge you to survive against all odds.

Pony Island – $1.74

Pony Island is a weird game… but considering its normal price is just $4.99 and how much it’s been discounted it’s worth it just for the trip it gives you.  What starts as a simple game about a pony jumping over obstacles turns sinister as Satan forces you into the game and makes it so that you can never escape.

Azure Striker Gunvolt – $3.74

Since Inafune left Capcom, the Mega Man series has more or less died (except for re-releases such as the Legacy Collection), but Inafune has gone on to create other games that’s in the spirit of the Blue Bomber.  Other than the ill-received Mighty No. 9, Azure Striker Gunvolt captures the essence of the Mega Man Zero series of games in particular, and is pretty good to boot.

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition – $9.99

Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautiful indie platformer, originally only for the Xbox family of systems.  Now, though, the game is available on Steam, and it’s well worth a playthrough.  This Definitive Edition is the same price as the normal one, and features new areas, story bits, and abilities.

Astebreed – $4.94

If shoot-’em-ups are your thing, Astebreed is the game to get this sale.  While the story is a bit on the overwrought side, Astebreed offers fun and ever-changing gameplay that’s perfect for high score chasing and replays.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon – $5.09

This stand alone expansion to Far Cry 3 takes the shooter in a ridiculous direction.  Poking fun at the absurdity of 80’s and 90’s action flicks, Blood Dragon is sure to entertain a number of gamers, even those who may not enjoy the base Far Cry series.

Legend of Grimrock II – $9.59

If you’re looking for a modern first person dungeon crawler similar to older classics like Wizardry, there aren’t many options available.  Thankfully for you, the Legend of Grimrock II will scratch that itch perfectly.  The original game is also available!

Which Steam games did you pick up this sale?  Let us know in the comments!

10 Games under $10 to grab this Steam Sale

Continuing our list of games to grab during the Steam Summer Sale, we’re going to be looking at hidden gems.  You know, games with smaller budgets, and are just less known than the big bad GOTY contenders.  Here’s 10 that are bound to tickle your fancy!  Don’t forget, if you need some Steam Wallet funds Amazon is your best bet.

Hyper Light Drifter – $9.99 (50% off)

Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG, somewhat similar to the 2D Legend of Zelda games but with the difficulty ramped up to 11.  The game also has a very unique pixel art style, lending to a beautiful and dangerous world.

Stardew Valley – $8.99 (40% off)

Stardew Valley is essentially Harvest Moon, for the PC.  While Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons have grown in different directions, Stardew Valley takes the simple route and focuses on the core of those games–farming, farming, and a bit of romance.  There is also a proposed multiplayer in the works.

Long Live The Queen – $5.49 (45% off)

Long Live the Queen is a bit hard to describe.  If you’ve heard of Princess Maker, it’s a bit like that… you’re raising/taking care of a young girl over a year’s period as she comes of age and becomes queen of the land.  However, there are many nefarious forces out there trying to end her life before that happens.  You have to focus on raising the princess’s stats and skills (as well as make level headed decisions) to ensure that she survives, and hopefully is a competent ruler to boot.

VA11-HallA: Cyberpunk Bartender Action – $10.04 (33% off)

The world of Va11-HallA is dark.  Everyone is controlled by evil corporations, and attempting to revolt against Big Brother will end your life.  None of that matters, though… you’re just a bartender.  Instead of trying to save the world or any of that jazz, you’re just working and trying to pay rent, while keeping your colorful patrons happy.

Transistor – $2.99 (85% off)

From the makers of Bastion comes this beautiful action RPG.  When Red is suddenly attacked by the robotic Process, she loses her voice and must wield the Transitor, a huge mysterious slab of a weapon, in order to survive and save the city of Cloudbank.

Darkest Dungeon – $9.99 (60% off)

Taking many influences from gothic art and lore, Darkest Dungeon is a hard as nails turn based RPG, with some rogue-like elements through in for good measure.  Build your team of imperfect dungeoneers and try your damnedest to keep them alive as they attempt to stem the horrors being unleashed on the world.

Enter the Gungeon – $7.49 (50% off)

If you’re a fun of rogue-likes and shoot-em-ups, then Enter The Gungeon is practically made for you.  Featuring clean pixel graphics and a harsh difficulty level with randomized dungeons for every playthrough, this game is meant to last for hours upon hours of playability.

Skullgirls – $2.99 (70% off)

Steam has gotten quite a few fighting games in recent years, and Skullgirls is one of the better ones on the service.  The mechanics are easy to learn but hard to master, and there’s a sizable story mode and active online community to play against.  It’s a very good value for the price!

Evoland Collector Pack – $13.85 (63% off)

The Evoland Collector Pack contains both Evoland 1 and 2.  The Evoland series likes taking genre conventions and histories and flips them on their heads in a tongue in cheek manner.  As players progress through the games, the world ‘evolves’ and uses new mechanics and even graphics as the heroes try and save the world.  It’s almost like a gaming history lesson!

Hollow Knight – $9.89 (24% off)

Released this year, Hollow Knight is something of an indie darling right now.  Hollow Knight takes the Metroidvania formula and crafts a challenging game that many say is one of the best of the exploration and action based genre.  It has a great art style, too.

What games did you pick up during this sale?  Let us know in the comments!

10 Hidden Gems to grab this Steam Sale

The Steam Summer Sale is upon us, and The Checkout has a series of recommendations to pick up!  We have 10 triple A titles that are deeply discounted and well worth your hard earned money.  Need to add some funds to your Steam Wallet?  Pick some cards up from Amazon!

Tom Clancy’s The Division – $19.99 (60% off)

The Division is a first person shooter with MMO elements that is a great game to pick up to play with others.  While the game originally launched with some issues, they’ve since been fixed and The Division has shaped up to be a good multiplayer title.

Fallout 4 – $14.99 (50% off)

Fallout 4 is the latest entry in Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic RPG series, and it carries the mantle well.  If you’re looking into dollar per hour investments, Fallout 4 offers tons of hours of content for an immensely cheap price.  If you have Fallout 4 already, the whole series is on sale.

Bayonetta – $14.99 (25% off)

Bayonetta is an older title from the PS3 and 360, but Platinum’s character action game just recently made the jump to Steam, and it’s well worth the $15 for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to play it yet.  It’s both absurd and a mechanically deep and complex game, and considered one of the best in its genre.

South Park: Stick of Truth – $7.49 (75% off)

With South Park: Fractured But Whole set to come out soon, now’s the best time to grab the first RPG based off the TV show.  Featuring the show’s classic and crude humor and a simple but engaging battle system, this is a must play for South Park fans.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor – $3.99 (80% off)

Shadow of Mordor received critical acclaim when it released in 2014, and the Game of the Year edition going for only $4 is an absolute steal.  Taking place in Middle-Earth (but not during The Lord of the Rings trilogy), the Nemesis system made huge waves as a unique gameplay mechanic.

The Witcher Trilogy – $25.63 (63% off)

The Witcher games are immensely popular RPGs that takes the stories from the book series and adapts them into engaging and story heavy games.  All three titles are worth a play-through, though The Witcher 3 has the most polished battle system and is stand-alone enough to play on its own.

Tomb Raider – $4.99 (75% off)

When Tomb Raider rebooted in 2013, the series took the template set up by Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series and put multiple spins on it.  If you don’t have a Sony system (or even if you do), Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider are great story driven third person shooters to try out.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown – $7.49 (75% off)

XCOM is an SRPG series that has a somewhat unique battle system and plenty of replayability.  While XCOM 2 has released, getting the original game (of the series reboot) for under $10 is a great introduction to the series.

Dishonored 2 – $19.99 (50% off)

Dishonored 2 puts you in the role of one of two assassins trying to reclaim the throne.  While it’s mainly a stealth game, you can solve any situation in Dishonored 2 in a variety of ways, allowing you to get through the storyline according to your play style.

Dark Souls III – $23.99 (60% off)

Dark Souls is an extremely popular series with those that love well-crafted, fair challenges, and now’s the time to jump on the latest title in the series.  Just be warned, it’s a game that’s brutal and unforgiving… but rewards those that take the time to learn the game’s rules and mechanics.

What games are you getting from the Steam Summer Sale?  Let us know in the comments!

10 AAA games to grab this Steam Sale

When EA touts the latest features of Madden or FIFA as marketing for the impending annual release, you won’t find a single one that isn’t presented as a furthering of the game’s realism. The players defend as they might really defend. The ball moves as you expect it to move. The league modes are more accurate representations of the seasons we track. The player statistics and visual models approach ever closer to the ideals of their real life legacy.

Only, this isn’t a simulation of sport. This is a simulation of professional sport, as we watch it, not as the athletes play it. If you want a simulation of sport, the concept and the reality of sports as they are actually played, you’ll want to look straight at Rocket League, Steam’s latest hit and current Twitch darling. It’s cars with rocket boosters playing soccer on a giant field with a giant ball, as visually unrealistic as it gets; but it’s still a better simulation than Madden or FIFA.

What do the most verdant fans do when watching a soccer, basketball or football game on television? They strategize. They yell at the coach or the players for doing the wrong thing. They curse the referees for making the wrong call. Then they celebrate when their team scores. The things they don’t do: dribble the ball, enable a perfect spiral, control with utmost precision the curve of a penalty shot. These are acts that involve actually playing a sport. The former are acts arisen only from a couch. In Rocket League, you don’t control a team, nor are any players assigned strict position. You are a player on the field, reliant on your teammates, and the agent to absolutely every action you take, but not an agent to the macro-level adjustments fantasized by watchers of the NFL. If Rocket League is a sport, then Madden and FIFA are actually RPGs.

So what about the term “simulation?” Doesn’t that imply realism? It does, but realism doesn’t imply visualization, not as EA and 2K so commonly trumpet. Realism implies accuracy. Consider that in Rocket League, strategies arise among teams not by a playbook offered on an overlay screen, but by the wit and execution of the players on the field. One defender back, two strikers forward. One guy sets it up, one guy stays center and goes for the goal. Defenders can be goalies or play the mid-field zone.

And consider that there is no correct way to use your boost. It’s a personal preference, whether to front flip across the ground or sacrifice some boost for utmost speed, whether to rocket jump excessively into the air or save your boost for extreme horizontal velocity on the goal. Lebron James isn’t considering his energy level in NBA 2K15. He’s waiting for the ball – the thing the player really controls in that game – to hit his hands. Then, for just a moment, you’re Lebron James, playing a sport, but then you’re one of his teammates, much like how the eyes of an onlooker would watch the game (The NBA 2K15 MyPark mode deserves a shout-out for upending this completely. There’s a reason that mode is so beloved).

The accuracy we’re talking about in the context of simulation isn’t about what it looks like on TV. It’s about what it feels like to do, to play and to triumph as you would playing a real-life sport. The accomplishments of a team in Rocket League are shared among its individual players, extrapolated from the successful execution of their skills and team-play.

That last sentence might have you thinking about eSports like League of Legends or Halo, where such things as the execution of skill and team-play similarly result in victory. You’d be right. But they aren’t simulating sport in the way that I’ve described for one reason: the objective required for winning in those games is most easily accomplished by the killing or elimination of other players. A sport plays by kinder rules and the playing around your opponents, not through them. Feel free to disagree with this vehemently. Moving on.

We’ve covered the elements of emergent strategy and player agency that set Rocket League as a truer simulation, but there’s another integral element – physics. The contrary example here are tennis and baseball games. Mario Tennis has long stood out as one of Nintendo’s best sports series. Similarly to Rocket League, Mario Tennis allows for the pinpoint control of just one character and personal strategy that’s more than just a shadow of the real thing. However, when you hit the ball in any way, the trajectory is completely predictable. This is because Mario Tennis never featured true physics in its games; only lookalike physics as seen on TV. Baseball games are split into two groups in this way – some, like 2K’s defunct arcade-style series The Bigs, feature a set number of potential ball trajectories off the bat. Others, like this year’s excellent Super Mega Baseball, rely on a more complicated collection of measurements to organically calculate trajectory, rather than call upon a preconceived set. Preparing to field, then, is a matter of reaction and instinct, rather than memorization. For Rocket League, this is happening at all times.

And yet, when the fielder puts his glove on the ball in Super Mega Baseball, he’s still throwing it as predictably as possible. The ball can only go to a small number of places from that point. If I want to pass the ball in Rocket League, the ball can go anywhere (it often does). It’s up to me, my personal skill, my choices and tactics, to get it where I want it to go; not the press of the correct button out of four. Rocket League’s ball never transitions from a helicopter to a train on rails. The cars never magically come to life as proximity to the ball raises; they are, at all times, subject to the whim of just one person. It is a consistent, competitive and challenging experience that only changes with the players in a given game. “Only” is a bad word, though, because in reality it changes with every game. That’s real competition. That’s real sport.

How the Latest Steam Hit, Rocket League, Refocuses “Sports Simulation”

It’s time to buy things you don’t quite understand for people you really, really don’t understand. That’s all gifts, to be clear. But when it comes to video games, there are lines you might cross and disappointments you may muster with even the smallest misstep. It’s a holiday minefield we’re here to help you navigate. We’ll begin with the only console recommendation on the list.

For the Entire Family

This is a public service announcement. Nintendo released a home console after the Wii. They really did. It’s called a Wii U and, compared to the Xbox One and PS4, it’s intensely outdated in the graphical department and woefully unsupported by third-party developers. Most good games on the Wii U are Nintendo games and there aren’t all that many of them.

The thing is, they’re almost universally great games and they do this weird thing that other game makers seem to have completely forgotten. They let people play in the same room together. There isn’t a console on the planet better suited for groups of people, now or before, than the Wii U. It also happens to be the one console that works with those amiibos everyone’s going nuts about.

There isn’t a developer more apt at touching in on that family and friends dynamic than the people who made Mario. They’re still doing it strong as ever, just don’t ask the so-called “hardcore” gamer about specs and advantages. Shut your earholes and read this: the Wii U is the console to buy right now, in 2014.

It may not be so in 2015 and it sure as hell wasn’t so in 2012 when the thing first came out. But in 2014, the Wii U is the most worthwhile new console on the market. At a time when families convene in their gift-giving holes, a console with games that support four, five or even eight people at once – that’s the one you want. It’s the one the family needs. If you do take the plunge, here’s a quick list of some great play-together starter games:

• Super Mario 3D World
• NintendoLand
• Pikmin 3
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• Mario Kart 8

Search Ben’s for Wii U Deals

For the PC Loner

It’s okay. We all have our solitary hobbies. If it’s video games, well, that unfortunately doesn’t narrow down the spectrum of potential gifts. Your best bet isn’t to get a specific game for a specific console. No, your best bet is to go for something a little more generalized or universal.

Gaming chairs, headsets and other physical products are nice, but you also run the risk of poor workmanship or design. In the end, the best video game gift you can get for the lone gamer is choice. And choice, of course, comes in the form of a Steam gift card.

Multiple times over the course of every year, Valve’s Steam storefront, the go-to place for just about every worthwhile PC game on the market, goes into a frenzy of ridiculous sales on everything from the biggest AAA games to the smallest adored indie games. It’s called a Steam Sale, and PC gamers pretty much lose their sanity when it happens.

The best thing about a Steam gift card: the only requirement is a mildly powerful computer, since so many of the smaller games really don’t require all that much computing power to run. If your recipient needs a little help in that department, here’s a quick list of 2014’s best games that don’t demolish hard drives and graphics cards:

• The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
• This War of Mine
• Dungeon Defenders 2
• Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
• Goat Simulator
• I am Bread
• Don’t Starve Together
• Nuclear Throne
• Super Time Force Ultra

For the Addicted Teenager

So your kid has chosen virtual people over real people. Don’t worry. It happens. It’s time to accept the way things are and look at this hobby in a new way. It can be a great segue into the inherent creativity and edification of video production. Watching other people play video games might seem a bit drab to the non-gamer, but within the community it’s a driving force of interaction and socialization across the entire planet, literally.

The first step is to get your kid a capture card so he or she can take all those wasted hours in front of a TV and turn it into a Youtube or Twitch channel. Some of the most popular “streamers” on the web aren’t even out of high school. It’s a bit of a technical, jargon-filled jungle getting through the capture card market. One of the simplest and most reliable devices right now, however, is the Elgato Game Capture HD.

Search Ben’s for Elgato HD Deals

For the Couples

There’s a bit of crossover with the Wii U on this one, but some games are just better suited for two people than others. In fact, some are even designed specifically for it. How quaint! Here’s a quick list of some of the best 2014 co-op games, particularly for their likelihood to end all arguments and cause spontaneous world peace.

Click below to open in Amazon.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

Destiny

Far Cry 4

Lara Croft and the Templs of Osiris

Best of luck with your gift giving and happy holidays from Ben’s!

Last Minute Video Game Gift Ideas for the Holidays

The announcement of Steam Family Sharing is a huge deal… Even though it really means you can only “share” your library of excellent PC games in an all-for-one manner with only one other person using the shared library at a given time. The move—in beta for now—means that something we own digitally (which is not our pop music iTunes library or some kind of device-locked Kindle book) can be shared with friends and family without stepping on any legal toes.

Under Steam’s Family Sharing plan, 10 users can share from a single library. Meaning, you can loan a friend a glorious PC game like the next Call of Duty, BioShock, or Saints Row. However, you can’t resell the game, and if your friend is playing and you try to play any other of your Steam games, said friend will get a polite message that play will end… but still. This is where it all begins, where digital media ownership gets ever closer to physical media ownership. But that’s still a ways off yet.

What Family Sharing Means For Me and Mine

Honestly, one of the best parts of gaming, a part that has not meshed well with Steam, has been sharing with younger generations. Now, when two generations of PC gamers want to share games, hallelujah, Family Sharing is the best way.

Before, as much as I might have wanted to introduce the kids to various new and classic PC games, not every one of those games catches their attentions. It has been easier to share 360 and PS3 games (even digital ones) with them.

With Family Sharing, I don’t have to buy them games that they might only play for 30 minutes before losing interest. Not only can I keep my Steam account for myself without having to give out my log-in info, but now the kids can earn their own achievements.

As for not being able to play at the exact same time, it’s not the end of the world. First, being the account holder gives me priority in an even greater way than if we were sharing a hard copy. Second, my schedule differs greatly from the kids, and if for some reason we all want to play the same game at the same time, then I can purchase another copy or two.

So, yeah, for me and for PC games in general, Valve’s Family Sharing feature, while limited in scope, just equals awesome.

Why Steam Family Sharing Equals Awesome