Game Sales, Deals, and Giveaways

[Moonface]

Steam Strategy Fest 2023 | Aug. 28 - Sept. 4
For anyone who's a fan of strategy games, the Steam Strategy Fest 2023 is live as of today and will run until September 4: https://store.steampowered.com/category/strategy

I've never really looked much into this genre so I can't think of any games that come to mind I would grab, but I plan to have a little look around in case something I've heard of and would be interested in actually falls into this and I didn't realize or I just see something I might like the look of.

[ShiraNoMai]

Slay The Spire would've been the thing I'd have been interested in getting, but I remembered someone gifted me the game recently so I guess I have nothing to get

[Dragon Lord]

50% off on Triangle Strategy is a great deal. Amazing game. Though SE usually puts their games for sale for a decent discount during all sales, so you can probably find it 50% off again during the Fall/Winter sale.

[Moonface]

Slay The Spire would've been the thing I'd have been interested in getting, but I remembered someone gifted me the game recently so I guess I have nothing to get

I looked for that but it isn't in the sale.

[Dragon Lord]

I don't know how long it's supposed to last, but Amazon currently has a "Buy one get one free" deal going on select PS4/PS5, Switch and Xbox games (I think One and Series X, but I didn't pay attention to them).

Not a whole lot to choose from, especially in the Switch department (unsurprising), but I did take advantage of the deal to pick up Theaterythm Final Bar Line (PS4) and Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4) for less than $20 each. Not too shabby.

[Moonface]

Just saw this and thought @Dragon Lord might be interested. It's a 160 page art book for NieR concept art by Koda Kazuma that's currently on sale for $17.19 on Amazon: NieR Art - Koda Kazuma Works

Never heard of the guy before but this is the first time their art has been compiled into a book like this and it contains a lot of exclusive and unseen stuff.

---

Some other art books currently on sale on Amazon that might be of interest to people that I've come across:

• The Art of Ghost of Tsushima (208 pages) - $49.99 $21.99 (after coupon)
  
• Genshin Impact: Official Art Book Vol. 1 (176 pages) - $35.99 $27.98
  

[Moonface]

So it went up free early by mistake it seems, but for anyone interested in keeping an eye out for it, Half Life 1 may be going free on Sunday in celebration of the games 25th anniversary. If it does, anyone who redeems their free copy of the game before the offer expires will get to keep it free forever. I'll probably try and pick it up if this does turn out to be true.

[Moonface]

Steam Sales & Fests Schedule for First Half 2024
Steam has revealed the schedule for all of the notable sales and game fest events that will occur in the first half of 2024:

• Capitalism and Economy Fest: January 8 - 15
  
• Pirates vs. Ninjas Fest: January 22 - 29
  
• Next Fest: February 5 - 12
  
• Remote Play Together: February 12 - 19
  
• Dinos vs. Robots Fest: February 26 - March 4
  
• Spring Sale: March 14 - 21 (major seasonal sale)
  
• Deckbuilders Fest: March 25 - April 1
  
• FPS Fest: April 15 - 22
  
• Farming Fest: April 29 - May 6
  
• Endless Replayability Fest: May 13 - 20
  
• Open World Survival Crafting Fest: May 27 - June 3
  
• Next Fest: June 10 - 17
  
• Summer Sale: June 27 - July 11 (major seasonal sale)
  

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamw...3299508612

[Dragon Lord]

I think the only sales I care about are the seasonal ones, as they usually have the best deals. Plus most of the games I want probably don't fall into most of these categories, so... Spring and Summer sale for me!

Hoping they delivery with some great sales during the upcoming Winter Sale too. Since I picked up the two versions of Dark Souls II to 100%, I'd like to get Dark Souls III sooner rather than later (plus I've had a huge itch to reply DaS3 for some reason -- maybe a part of me is ready to finally go back and tackle the second DLC that I skipped).

Hopefully Lies of P will be on sale for at least 50% off soon too, because I'd like to replay it and experience all of the changes they've made to the game, but if I do replay it, I'd rather do it on Steam so I can 100% it again instead of just playing it on my already completed PS5 version.

[Moonface]

I'd be surprised if Lies of P gets a discount as big as 50% less than a year from its release. I actually expect the game to gets its biggest discount whenever the DLC is close to dropping as a way to incentivize people to pick up the game who haven't yet in the hopes of increasing DLC sales.

As for those Steam sales in general, I'd need to find some games I actually want to get on PC first since right now my wishlist is empty and I can't think of any games I want on my laptop. Usually a game has to be PC exclusive or have a much more appealing scene on PC (i.e. Minecraft, DbD, Terraria) for me to consider getting a game on there instead of console.


I don't have PS+ but for anyone who does it has some good offerings for this month: PlayStation Blog | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for December 2023

[Dragon Lord]

I might have to snag Salt & Sacrifice because I've been waiting for physical copies to happen and nothing. Might as well get for free if I have to go digital and then I can buy a physical copy if they ever become a reality.  Oh, never mind. They are for the two higher tiers of PS+. Not paying $45 for Extra just to get a $20 game. kek

I just bought a copy of Stranger of Paradise back in... October or November, ha. Well, wouldn't matter since I prefer physical and I got it for like $15 in a Gamestop sale.

[Moonface]

Ugh I hate how I can never keep track of what tier is the basic one for PS+, partly because of the names and also because Sony just act like the basic tier doesn't exist half the time. Even while writing this I'm trying to remember what the basic tier is actually called and I probably couldn't give an answer with a gun to my head...

[Mr EliteL]

Ugh I hate how I can never keep track of what tier is the basic one for PS+, partly because of the names and also because Sony just act like the basic tier doesn't exist half the time. Even while writing this I'm trying to remember what the basic tier is actually called and I probably couldn't give an answer with a gun to my head...

Thought the basic PS Plus was called Essential, but perhaps it's named differently for US?

Eh, nothing on sale for me, not looking to be buying right now anyway.

[Moonface]

Ugh I hate how I can never keep track of what tier is the basic one for PS+, partly because of the names and also because Sony just act like the basic tier doesn't exist half the time. Even while writing this I'm trying to remember what the basic tier is actually called and I probably couldn't give an answer with a gun to my head...

Thought the basic PS Plus was called Essential, but perhaps it's named differently for US?

Eh, nothing on sale for me, not looking to be buying right now anyway.

Ah, that's the name, and no it doesn't go by a different name in the US. I just simply could not remember the term it uses for the life of me. Looking at the two higher tier names again, I'm actually slapping myself mentally at ever even thinking PS+ Premium was the basic tier when it makes no sense as a name for a basic tier in the first place.


The Steam Winter Sale starts on December 21 btw for anyone looking to get some deals for the holidays. I doubt I'll get anything unless I see a game listed in the sales I forgot about that I'd like to have on PC.
Something I saw that was interesting though was a lot of comments on the trailer expressing apathy for the sale because the Autumn Sale wasn't even a month ago so it's hard to get excited for another sale so soon, and others were saying the same stuff goes on sale so often that there's little reason to care for new sale events, or that sale events just happen so often now that buying a game outside of a sale is just a dumb idea unless it's one that has only just come out and is therefore unlikely to get a discount quickly.

[Dragon Lord]

I'll keep an eye out for some good sales for the Winter Sale. As I mentioned before, I really want to snag up Dark Souls III at a good price. Will see what Lies of P is on sale for. If I can get it for $40, I'd probably jump on it. Definitely worth paying for again.

I'll also keep my eye on some of my "I want this game so I can 100% it again" games. Ys VIII for example. Got the PS4 and Vita platinums. Need to get the PS5 platinum still, and then get 100% on Steam. Same with Ys IX (got PS4 platinum, have PS5 copy but haven't started it yet, then gotta do it again on Steam). Blue Reflection is another game I've been waiting to get on a decent sale as well so I can 100% it on Steam (have the PS4 platinum). Need to get the Trails of Cold Steel games on Steam as well.

I'd love to see The Last Faith on sale as well. The game is only $28 normally, so it's not like it's super expensive, but if I can get it for $20 or less, that'd just be a bonus. If it's not on sale though, I'll probably just pick it up anyways, because I've heard it's an AMAZING Souls-like Metroidvania game.

Ender Lillies for $15 or less will be an automatic buy. LOVE that game and can't wait to play through it again. Little Witch Nobeta will be an auto-buy at $15 or less as well. There's lots of other games I'd love to pick up too, and if they're on sale for good enough prices, it might be hard to control myself, haha.

Looks like Square Enix is having some nice sales ahead of the Winter Sale though. Harvestella, Triangle Strategy, Star Ocean The Divine Force, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Bravely Default II and NieR Replicant are 50% off, Valkyrie Elysium is 60% off, Octopath Traveler II is 30% off, Dragon Quest XI is 40% off, Star Ocean The Last Hope is 70% off and NieR Automata is 60% off.