Steam’s Winter Sale is absolutely packed with savings on games big and small. But the more obscure or overlooked gems are often stuck beneath the pesky algorithm. To save your wrist from the pain of endlessly scrolling, we’ve compiled ten games you’ve probably never played before, all on sale for under $10.
Let’s start with Before The Green Moon ($6), a low-stakes, low-poly farming sim that’s “set in a small community at the base of a space elevator” that goes to the titular moon. Think Stardew Valley but with PSX aesthetics and an alien world. Before The Green Moon comes courtesy of Turnfollow, the developers behind Wide Ocean Big Jacket, so you can also expect some incredibly human moments thrown in, too.
Next up is Cursorblade ($4), a game that first caught my attention with a great Next Fest demo. Essentially, the game takes Vampire Survivor’s roguelike formula but casts you as the titular pointy cursor. Enemies stay stationary and it’s then on you to attack when appropriate, threading between projectiles, blobs, and flames to strike.
Before Insomniac Games swung into action with Spider-Man, the studio cut its teeth on Sunset Overdrive ($5), the vibrant shooter that turns an urban open world into a platforming paradise. Sticking with blockbusters, survival horror sequel The Evil Within 2 ($6) is at its lowest price ever and an absolute steal.
Early access not a problem? Driftwood ($7), the longboarding game with a starring sloth, just added snowboarding for the festive season, so, what better time to slide in? Then we have Mortal Sin, a brutal but brilliant roguelike that has you descend into unholy dungeons with some thrilling melee combat. (Yes, I’m breaking my own rules since it’s currently on sale for $13. It’s just that good!)
Let’s switch gears to something dramatically more chill: I Commissioned Some Cats ($3.5), which is an adorable hidden object puzzler featuring some stunning art. Another hidden object gem comes from Sizeable ($3), a puzzler that has you shrinking and expanding objects in a diorama. Cloud Gardens ($4.80) is also endlessly relaxing for its gorgeous voxels and post-apocalyptic decorating.
My final recommendation is the time-looping old-school horror Homebody ($9.99), which is somehow brutally scary and insightful about early-adulthood anxieties all at once. Not very festive, but hey, maybe that’s what you’re in the mood for.
Steam Winter Sale also has discounts on the best Soulslikes.
