Steam Autumn Sale 2022: the discounted games you need to buy
Huge savings on new releases, indie games, and essential classics alike
Black Friday deals aren’t constrained to fancy FitBits or pizza ovens. There’s also some, quite frankly, mind-boggling savings to be discovered in the Steam Autumn Sale 2022.
Valve’s extensive Steam Autumn Sale kicked off on the 22nd of November and runs until the 29th. In that time, there are savings to be made on big hitters like Final Fantasy, Far Cry, FIFA and Fallout series – and those are just the Fs. There’s also a ton of indie games.
With literally hundreds of games discounted, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to scour through everything. If you’re looking to load up on games for the cold, dark winter months ahead, these are our picks for the absolute best deals going. Just make sure you snag them before the 29th.
Big releases
Red Dead Redemption 2: £18
In the past, we named Red Dead Redemption 2 a game that every Playstation 4 owner needs, but that’s not entirely correct. It’s a game every person must own, regardless of console. Rockstar’s open-world Western odyssey is a true sight to behold, with stunning vistas, impressively lifelike characters, and a compelling campaign. A rich and engrossing storyline will have you weeping at any random moment, with arguably the biggest blub coming as you ride your horse to the sound of Willie Nelson. Sadly, RDR2’s online play was lacklustre and has largely been abandoned by Rockstar. But in its offline form, few games rise above this masterpiece.
Buy Red Dead Redemption 2 on Steam
FIFA 23: £36
Well, it is the World Cup after all. You likely already know the score when it comes to the FIFA series: FIFA 23 puts you in control of over 19,000 players and 700+ teams, playing in 100 stadiums in over 30 leagues. It’s a game that rewards players who give it real world money in return for the best players, and where a 14 year old will probably cuss you out over chat while beating you 5-1. But, much to our annoyance, FIFA is still the best football game out there, and its 2023 edition builds on its solid foundations with slicker, more enjoyable gameplay and a better matchmaking system.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – GOTY Edition: £25
Easily one of the most difficult action games out there (it’s a From Software title, what did you expect?), but that doesn’t take away from how much of a blast Sekiro is to play. Taking more than a few cues from FromSoft mainstay Dark Souls, this stealth-and-swords single player has you slashing your way through all manner of monsters in the name of vengeance. Where Sekiro thrives, and at times angers, is in its strategy-based gameplay that takes time and precision to master. Due to its difficultly Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly a title worth investing in should you not be burdened by real world responsibilities anytime soon.
Cyberpunk 2077: £25
After years of hype and heightened expectations, fans were left somewhat disappointed when Cyberpunk 2077 dropped in 2020. That is to say, when the game hit the shelves, the sheer amount of gameplay destroying (and sometimes hilarious) bugs it came with made it all but unplayable on previous-gen consoles. Thankfully, thanks to a bunch of patch updates, this open-world RPG has been much improved, and PC remains the best way to experience it. The gameplay and item customisation has been boosted, the glitches are (mostly) gone and it looks visually stunning, making the virtual world of Night City one of the best looking futuristic landscapes in gaming.
Stray: £20
Indie darlings
Chivalry 2: £18
Inspired by type of epic, gory movie battles as seen in the likes of Braveheart, Chivalry 2 is a first-person stabber that has you storming castles and avoiding arrows in a host of Medieval settings. With up to 64 players at one time, battlefields are simply too massive to comprehend but offer free for all skirmishes that will have you frantically slashing in every direction. That said, an intuitive combat and class system means playing as a battle tactician is possible. For us, though, running into battle with flailing arms and zero plan is where the most fun lies.
The Forest: £3.50
You are the survivor of a plane crash, stranded on an island riddled with cannibals. Not exactly an ideal place to be. The Forest is a fantastic first person survival horror where you must craft and slash to survive, all while uncovering what secrets the island holds. The Forest offers a good mix of open world exploration and base building, but also a storyline that adds intrigue into what could otherwise be a run of the mill survival game.
Hollow Knight: £5.50
Probably the best Metroidvania since Metroid and Castlevania jointly coined the genre, Hollow Knight strikes the perfect balance between challenging and fun to play. You’re going to die plenty until you get to grips with its combat mechanics, but soon you’ll be a master of dodging and parrying. Eventually you’ll be taking down bosses you barely made a dent in during the early game. The art style is gorgeous and there’s a huge world to make your way through. Play it now before the sequel, Silksong, arrives in 2023.
Valheim: £11
While Valheim is currently in early access, a whopping 95% of over 300,000 Steam users have already rated it ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’. And who are we to argue with that many people? This exploration and survival co-op is set in a procedurally-generated Scandinavian world where you must craft, build and fight your way out of a Viking inspired purgatory. It’s a great co-op title, too.
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut: £9
Disco Elysium may just be the perfect game, and with a whole 75% off the original price this role playing masterpiece is made all the better. You play as a broken (and mostly drunk) detective who must solve a murder in a town riddled by conflict. Will you crack the case as a moral man, or a complete mess with no regard for others? The choice is yours in this richly detailed narrative-driven mystery.
Must-play classics
Civilization VI: £5
Just one more turn, we tell ourselves after 10 straight hours of trying to conquer the world as the Persian leader Cyrus the Great. It’s never just ‘one more turn’, though. That’s what makes Civilization VI one of the best, and most addictive, turn-based strategy games out there. There’s also some huge savings to be found at the moment, too, with the original game available for £5 and the entire anthology bundle down from £180 to £26.
Cities: Skylines: £7
Cities: Skylines is about the joy of building the perfect city. But it’s also about the joy of building the imperfect city. Depending on the player, Cities: Skylines will give you the opportunity to create walkable cities that work efficiently. You can also drown your entire town with raw sewage, if you so choose. Whatever the aim, Cities: Skylines is easily the most adaptive and engrossing city builder out there at the moment. A ton of additional content has only improved the game, including Green Cities, Skyscrapers and Natural Disasters. Cities: Skylines also enjoys a very dedicated modding community, allowing players to build whatever their heart desires.
Fallout 76: £9
It was a bit of a car crash at launch, but Bethesda rolled up its sleeves and eventually transformed the first multiplayer Fallout title into something series fans should absolutely check out. Technical issues have been fixed, storylines expanded and NPCs added to make post-apocalyptic West Virginia feel a lot more alive. You can buddy up with other players or go it alone, exploring the wasteland for materials to build a base and uncovering more wacky Fallout lore.
Doom Eternal: £6
Takes everything that made the 2016 reboot great – frenetic action, rapid movement, intense metal soundtrack, a non-stop procession of demons to slaughter – and turns it up even further. There are more guns and movement options (of course bolting a grappling hook onto the iconic Super Shotgun would make it even better), which come in handy for taking on the even more intense combat arenas.
Assassin’s Creed Origins: £10
Ubisoft took a two-year break between series entries while working on Assassin’s Creed Origins, which was a big change after nearly a decade of annual releases. The extra development time made all the difference. Origins is a sprawling, epic open world adventure with fantastic pacing and nuanced storytelling. Ancient Egypt is a joy to explore, the combat has been refined from previous games, and it still looks stunning today.
Jack Needham
