The Steam Summer Sale: The Games You Need to Buy (2021)

Jul 27, 2021

If you’re like me, you don’t want to purchase most games while they’re at full price. I like finding new games, but the cost can quickly add up to an astronomical amount. That’s why I like waiting for the big Steam sales which can drop the price of even AAA games by over 75%!

It can also be hard to pick through all the many games Steam discounts during one of its sales — how does one go about picking the best games to purchase from a list of thousands? Well, some of my favorite games have been personal recommendations from friends, and that’s the experience we at Howchoo hope to replicate.

The games on this list are some of my personal favorites, and are all experiencing some radical discounts that make this the perfect time to add them to your library!

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Best RPG Games on Sale on Steam

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition

2019 Game of the Year award winner, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a brilliant tale of vengeance and honor, with a playing style that will make fans Dark Souls fall instantly in love. Set in a twisted version of 1500s Japan, embark on your epic adventure to rescue your charge… and kill anyone who gets in your way.

50% Discount: It’s hard to go wrong with a game that offers this much story, action, and depth even at full price, but at half-off, it’s a total steal

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition

Horizon is one of our favorites here at Howchoo, with an incredible open world, a gripping storyline, a rich and engaging cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist who carries the show. Its aesthetic is a great and unique blend of cyber-primitive, and it features one of the best soundtracks around.

50% Discount: At half off, this game is a huge steal. I’ve seen it get to 40% before, but never this low.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect is one of the best game series of all time, so when the Legendary edition arrived, with every aspect of the three games fully remastered for modern hardware, it caught the world by storm. Now, just barely a month since its release, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is on sale! Deep story, hard-packed action, and brilliant characters… this game has it all.

17% Discount: Sure, there will be steeper discounts in the future, but this ain’t bad considering it just came out! I’d say grab it while it’s hot.

Best Strategy Games on Sale on Steam

Dyson Sphere Program

This is probably one of the best building/factory simulation games to come out in the last few years, and considering that it’s still in early access that really is saying something. The team at Youthcat Studio really did an incredible job with this one, creating a game that offers a brilliant sci-fi setting where the goal is to construct massive solar infrastructure projects called Dyson Spheres (energy harvesters that collect all the energy of a star) to safeguard humanity’s future.

10% Discount: This might not seem like much, but this game rarely goes on sale at all, so we say grab it while it’s there!

Hearts of Iron IV

Take command of any of the nations fighting in WWII, sallying forth to either victory or defeat in one of the greatest conflicts in human history. The tactical, political, and strategic depth of this game is frankly incredible, and it definitely has the qualities that will keep you glued to your screen for hours on end.

75% Discount: This is one heck of a great discount for one of Paradox Interactive’s best grand strategy games! If you’re a fan of WWII-themed games, you really cannot do better than this.

Civilization VI

One of the best and most-loved games of all time, the Civilization games are an addictive joy to play. Take your society from humble foragers to a world-spanning empire, vie for political, economic, cultural, and military superiority, while attempting to balance your impact against the needs of the environment. If you’ve always wanted to play this game, the time to get it is now.

76% Discount: Civilization games are renowned for their expansions, many of which often act as testing grounds for features that will be included in the base version of the next game. Because of this, we strongly recommend getting the incredible deal offered here, where you get all the expansions for less than the base game normally costs! That’s $49.89 instead of $209.85!

Best Shooter & Action Games on Sale on Steam

RUST

Like it says in the brochure: the only goal is to survive. You awake on an island, naked and alone, and must struggle against the elements and the hostile surroundings to stay alive. This game is a constantly evolving work of multiplayer genius, where your interactions with other players can lead to the formation of cooperative settlements… or your death. It’s all up in the air, and with a massive environment, monthly patches, and a recent huge graphics update, this game is well worth your time.

50% Discount: I don’t see RUST go on sale very often, so half-off is an awesome buy.

Metro Exodus

One of my all-time favorite RPG-shooters, Exodus took the relatively uninspired horror gameplay of the previous titles in the series and elevated it to something truly remarkable, highlighting the roleplaying and story elements while offering a deeper range of playstyle options. Stealth game or shooter? It’s all up to you, and your choices are certain to impact the outcome of the story.

75% Discount: There is no better time to grab this game and its excellent expansions than at this incredible discount.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

I know some people will accuse me of pure nostalgia for this one, but come on, it’s Halo! The remastered versions are not always that hot — some of them barely feel remastered at all, more like rough ports, but in others, the work of the remastering is super clear. I’d say it’s worth it just for Halo and Halo 2 alone, but if you’re looking for a trip down memory lane, or have never played these iconic games before, now is the time.

50% Discount: What a steal! It’s hard to beat five whole games for this price.

Best Platformer & Puzzle Games on Sale on Steam

It Takes Two

Remember the early days of consoles, when there was literally nothing more exciting than sitting down with friends to play the same game on a tiny split-screen segment of the TV? Well It Takes Two is the game that manages to both recapture that joyful experience and take it even farther, delivering what is probably the best cooperative gaming experience I’ve ever encountered. The variation of the challenges that the players need to work together to overcome, the sweet story, and the great graphics all blend together to make this an instant and beloved classic.

25% Discount: It’s not the steepest I’ve ever seen, but for this game, which is incredibly hot right now, it’s a steal!

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of our favorites! The vast 2D world, the huge range of puzzles to solve, and the incredibly emotionally engaging story are all captured within a delightful artistic style that fairly mesmerizes.

49%-50% Discount: Right now is the perfect time to get this game, but if you’ve never played either it or the original, why not get both for the 49% discount?

Portal & Portal 2

Two of the most iconic games of the last two decades, the Portal games remain some of the best puzzle games ever designed, with some of the funniest and most engaging writing in the genre. Right now, you can grab these two beauties for a massive discount, making it the perfect time to grab them if you’ve yet to experience their genius.

85% Discount: Valve always puts their own games on the biggest discount during their major sales, so now is the time to grab the classics! If you’ve always wanted to try more of the great Valve games that exist, you can grab everything for an insane 91% off.

Best Story-driven Games on Sale on Steam

Beyond: Two Souls

Yes, I’ve written about Beyond: Two Souls before because it’s one of my all-time favorite games and easily one of the best story-centered games around. With incredible acting by Elliot Paige and Willem Dafoe, the breathtaking nonlinear story will capture your heart and imagination and ruin you to all other games for years to come.

50% Discount: One of the best games ever for $10? Yes, please!

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

One of the most celebrated games of the last decade, The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt is a massive open-world RPG featuring some of the best writing around. Rich and engaging characters make the sprawling world come alive, and the intensity of the main storyline will keep you hooked from beginning to end. While it might help to have the grounding of the original two games to feel fully immersed in the story, it’s not necessary to enjoy the game… however the original two are on sale as well, so why not grab them all!

84% Discount: For all three Witcher games! Granted, the first two are not in the same league as #3, but they’re solid older RPGs in their own right, with great storylines even if the gameplay is a bit dated. For this deal, it makes sense to grab’em.

The Outer Worlds

Probably my favorite recent RPG release, The Outer Worlds is a comedic masterpiece. Superb aesthetics, great anti-capitalist themes, and seriously solid humor writing keep this zany action masterpiece clipping along at a good pace. There’s also already a sequel planned, so grab this one now because you just know that it’s going to be the next hottest franchise to play.

60% Discount: I’ve never seen it get this low, so this sale is seriously worthwhile.