Steam is among the most popular digital marketplaces in the world. One of the best things about Steam is the frequent sales. Filling up a game library is expensive business nowadays. Yet, these sales help everyone take advantage and buy as many games as they can.
Valve isn’t very keen on the actual dates to come out before the sales. Every year the times of the sale leak beforehand. Avid users will also know the format for significant steam sales. If you’re new or haven’t been paying attention, here’s a guide to help you navigate through the sale.
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Are there any current Steam sales?
Unfortunately, there’s no major steam sale on currently. The significant sales on Steam are seasonal. You will typically see these sales in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The summer sale ended on 9 July, which means that you may have missed your chance to get some outstanding deals.
When is the next Steam sale?
The next steam sale will most likely be the annual Halloween sale. Gamers can expect this sale to start around 28 October. Halloween sales are a particularly great opportunity for fans of scary games. Yet, certain other games will also see a drop in prices.
The next major sale will be the Autumn/Black Friday sale. The autumn sale typically starts around mid-November.
When to expect Steam sales?
If you experience enough of anything, you can effectively make predictions. Veterans of the sales will already know when a new Steam sale is about to come around. They are perfect opportunities to fill up your game library.
Steam sales tend to start around the third or fourth week of their respective months. Summer and Winter sales tend to last longer. These are typically two weeks long. The two more extensive sales also tend to offer better prices.
The Spring and Autumn sales will last for around a week. These sales typically occur closer to the release of significant new games. That means the titles price won’t go down significantly. However, in the big winter and summer sales, you can get AAA titles at considerably lower rates.
Below you can find the approximate dates for all the sales.
- Steam Spring Sale: 23 May
- Steam Summer Sale: 25 June
- Steam Halloween Sale: 28 October
- Steam Autumn Sale: 20 November
- Steam Winter Sale: 19 December
Keep in mind; these dates are approximate. The sales will start close to these dates, so be sure to prep beforehand.
Alternative Sales
These aren’t the only sales you can experience on Steam. There are several other more frequent offers. Gamers can easily take advantage of these. The publisher weeks are well worth keeping an eye on.
Daily sales and Weekend offers may occasionally surprise you. Usually, you may not find any significant games with significant price drops. There remains a chance that you might see an old gem, which is at the perfect price to get you playing again.
Tips and Tricks
If you’re looking to take advantage of Steam sales, there are several things you can do.
1. Indie Games
Steam sales are the absolute perfect time to stock up on Indie games. Most people tend to ignore the Indie game genre during sales. However, you should buck that trend and take advantage of the ridiculous prices.
It’s a great way to fill up your game library. The games you will see on sale will typically be the biggest indie hits. Not only will you fill up your game library, but you’ll also have a diverse set of games to enjoy. You could potentially get many indie games for the price of a single big title.
2. Use Wishlist
You can always make use of the wishlist to your advantage. Whenever you see a game you want, add it to your Steam wishlist. Adopting this habit will help you a lot when sales come around.
You can go through your wishlist during sales, see if the games you want are on sale. This process will save you a lot of browsing. You can quickly check and see if the games you want are on sale.
3. DLC and Expansions
Remember the good old days, when DLC used to come free with the game? Sadly, those times are long gone. Now and then some publishers will release a certain amount of free DLC. However, the significant chunk of DLC is too expensive for what it is worth.
The best time to pick up DLC is during sales. The prices will typically go down, and chances are you’ll get to enjoy excellent prices. So many modern games come with extra DLC material. To truly enjoy a game fully you got to play through the DLC as well. Steam sales can give you a chance to do as such.
4. Bundles
Bundles offer some of the best value during sales. Keep your eyes open for these. You can potentially get a full series of games for a very nominal price. Additionally, you can also get a game plus its DLC in one bundle.
Video gaming is becoming increasingly expensive. Bundles are an easy way to keep gamers happy.
5. The Waiting Game
There’s no rush to buy video games in all honesty. There are four significant steam sales, typically. Several small offers take place in between, as well. Publisher weekends and Daily deals all reoccur throughout the year.
If you miss out on a sale or can’t decide what to buy, you can always wait. Bide your time, save a little bit more money and have a go at the next sale. Sure you may miss out on some good deals, but chances are you may find even better ones.
Following these tips can help you out a lot during the Steam sales. These sales are also a great time to expand your gaming pantheon. You should try out new games and always look for the best prices!