The Steam Summer Sale 2020 is well underway, and there's a whole host of seriously tempting deals on some of the best PC games on the market. With thousands of games on sale, and huge savings to be had, there's sure to be something that will catch your eye.
The chances are you might not even need something new to play, but if you're a PC gamer who uses Steam, these type of sales are just too good to pass up. You'll probably pick up a couple of extra games regardless, even if they end up collecting digital dust – don't worry, we won't judge.
The Steam Summer Sale will be running until July 9, so don't miss your opportunity to get a bunch of PC gaming titles you may have missed, or have wanted for a while, for cheap.
There are some games that have measly 10-30% discounts, but what we're interested in is the really juicy discounts on some of our favorite PC games. Steam always manages to have some really deep discounts on some fairly big-name games, so we went ahead and found all the best deals and gathered them all up right here.
Keep in mind that these are just our picks, there are hundreds and hundreds of games on sale right now, and we encourage you to go check the entire sale out – there are even some extracurricular activities going on during this event.
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The best Steam Summer Sale 2020 deals
Borderlands 3: $49.99 $29.99 on Steam
Hop into the chaotic gun-fest that is the Borderlands world with the latest game in the series. You can enjoy the campaign alone, or team up with friends onlien for the co-op experience. View Deal
Terraria: $9.99 $4.99 on Steam
Enjoy some time building up your own city or wander about fighting and exploring. You can do it all in Terraria while enjoying the retro graphics.View Deal
Cities: Skylines: $29.99 $7.49 on Steam
Tired of the traffic on your commute to work or the look of your home town? Try building something better in Cities: Skylines. Construct a hyper-efficient city, or build a sprawling metropolis.View Deal
Tabletop Simulator: $19.99 $9.99 on Steam
If you love board games but can't always get together with friends to play them Tabletop Simulator offers a platforms to play a huge variety of board games with your friends in a digital environment.View Deal
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: $19.99 $5.99 on Steam
If you haven't played Metal Gear Solid V yet, now's your chance to snag it for next to nothing. The game is a cinematic masterpiece and a must-play for lovers of stealth games.View Deal
Planet Coaster: $44.99 $11.24 on Steam
You've been to theme parks, and you've ridden roller coasters. But, maybe you can do better. Try your hand at building a theme park and designing the fastest, twistiest roller coasters in Planet Coaster.View Deal
LEGO Games: Up to 75% off on Steam
Believe it or not, the LEGO brand is behind some of the most delightful video game adaptations of comic and film franchises, and you can get tons of these games at a massive discount.View Deal
The Walking Dead - Ultimate Steam Bundle: $134.93 $57.33 on Steam
If the Walking Dead shows have left you wanting more of that world, the Telltale Games series is an excellent way to experience The Walking Dead and see what it's like to make the hard choices faced by survivors in a zombie apocalypse.View Deal
Jump Force: $59.99 $19.79 on Steam
What game takes all your favorite anime characters and puts them in one place? Jump Force. Enjoy outlandish combat with characters from a massive pool of anime and manga, from newer properties like My Hero Acadamia to classocs like Yu Yu Hakusho.View Deal
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition: $39.99$15.99 on Steam
Maybe you played Skyrim when it first came out, or maybe you never got around to it. But, this deal on the Special Edition makes for a great opportunity to experience the game with graphics that enhance those of the original release.View Deal
Titanfall 2: $29.99 $9.89 on Steam
Experience one of the best campaigns in any FPS game with Titanfall 2. From powerful combat on foot and in Titans to the incredible maneuvers of a pilot, this is a game that never lets up.View Deal
Dark Souls III: $59.99 $14.99 on Steam
Are you a glutton for punishment? Do you love the struggle of a vicious video game boss? Dark Souls III should be right up your alley with basic enemies that can pose a real threat and bosses that will make you earn your victory.View Deal
Grand Theft Auto V: $29.99$14.99 on Steam
The staying power for Grand Theft Auto V has been astounding, as has the staying power of its price tag. But, this is one of the few times a year you can snag it at a discount.View Deal
The Sims 4: $39.99 $19.99 on Steam
You can get in on the classic life-building simulation game with a 50% discount right now. Expansions for The Sims 4 are also on discount for up to 30% off.View Deal
Need for Speed Payback: $29.99 $14.99 on Steam
Looking for a little racing and wrecking mayhem? Need for Speed Payback has you covered, and the Steam Summer Sale has your back with a 50% discount.View Deal
Tekken 7: $39.99$9.99 on Steam
Continue the saga of the Tekken franchise with epic combat, compelling graphics, and a tasty 75% discount. View Deal
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom: $59.99 $17.99 on Steam
Head back into the delightful anime-styled world of Ni no Kuni in this sequel. You can explore the wide world, meet fun characters, and you can save an epic 70% on the price.View Deal
Project CARS 2: $59.99 $8.99 on Steam
For most of us, the most expensive cars are well out of our price range. But, the Steam Summer Sale brings Project CARS 2 well into our price range with an 85% discount.View Deal
Outer Wilds: $49.99 $29.99 on Steam
For fans of science fiction, Outer Wilds is a must-play. The game has won a BAFTA award, and will take you on a mysterious space adventure to solve an endless time loop.View Deal
Detroit: Become Human: $39.99 $35.99 on Steam
Detroit: Become Human has only just come to PC, but already you can score a small discount. Engage in the struggle of androids in a world where they serve humans, and see how your decisions affect the game world.View Deal
Star Wars Battlefront II: $39.99 $19.99 on Steam
With the Skywalker Saga concluded, you may be craving more Star Wars action, and Battlefront II has it, with relentless ground combat, powerful force-wielders, and epic starship battles.View Deal
Red Dead Redemption 2: $59.99$47.99 on Steam
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best games of the last decade, and the PC version will let you experience the last days of the Wild West in epic detail and in either first- or third-person view.View Deal
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: $59.99 $29.99 on Steam
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sees you play as a Jedi who only narrowly escaped the purge at the end of Episode III. The combat is epic and grueling at times, and the story is worthy of the Star Wars series.View Deal
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: $59.99 $19.79 on Steam
Take to the skies in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. You'll get to feel like an ace pilot as you weave through the sky and engage in tense dogfights View Deal
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: $49.99$14.99 on Steam
If you still haven't played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, nows the time. This deal will not only land you the epic main game, but also the two expansions that deliver many hours more on top of the already massive game.View Deal
Sonic Adventure 2: $9.99 $2.49 on Steam
Relive a classic with this deal on Sonic Adventure 2. Play as both Sonic and Shadow, as well as other members of Sonic's colorful cast. Enjoy both classic Sonic gameplay as well as plenty of mini-games or some two-play competitive modes.View Deal
Dragon Age Inquisition: $39.99 $19.99 on Steam
If you love ancient worlds wrapped in fantasy and chaos, then you'll love Dragon Age Inquisition. You'll be faced with tough decisions as the Inquisitor tasked with saving the world, and you'll be faced with even tougher enemies.View Deal
Portal 2: $9.99 $1.99 on Steam
A first-person puzzle game that's won more than 70 industry accolades, this classic game from Valve hasn't aged a day. Use physics and your noggin to escape the occasionally murderous computer companion GLaDOS, and enjoy two-player co-op.View Deal
Resident Evil 2: $39.99 $19.99 on Steam
Arguably one of the finest remakes of this generation, Resident Evil 2 lets players rediscover the horrors of Raccoon City. Filled with more life-like shuffling zombies than ever, this is a true classic reborn. View Deal
Celeste: $19.99 $9.99 on Steam
Journey to the top of Celeste mountain as Madeline in this gorgeous and super-tight, narrative-driven platformer. With 700+ screens of platforming challenges, this will test your thumbs and patience in equal measure. View Deal
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds: $29.99 $14.99 on Steam
Fight to be the sole survivor in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (commonly known as PUBG) as you drop onto an island with 100 players. The game continues to draw in thousands of players, so why not grab it while it's on sale? View Deal
Two Point Hospital: $34.99 $11.89 on Steam
Cure patients with all sorts of crazy and peculiar illnesses in Two Point Hospital, the spiritual successor to 1997's Theme Hospital. Build up your reputation, manage your staff and win as many healthcare awards as you can. The doctor will see you now. View Deal
Spyro Reignited Trilogy: $39.99 $19.99 on Steam
Hotter than ever, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is more than a mere scale up. Rekindle your passion for the purple dragon in remastered versions of Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. View Deal
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition: $109.96 $19.58 on Steam
The final chapter of Lara's origin story, the British explorer will need to discover dark and brutal tombs, become one with the jungle and survive and thrive in a dangerous world. Pick up all of the DLC as part of this bundle.
How to get the best deals in the Steam Sales
Whichever way you approach a particular Steam Sale, you're guaranteed to have the chance to pick up some top gaming titles at great prices.
Finding bargains isn't too difficult, but there are a few techniques and tricks that are worth using if you want to get the most out of the sales.
- Use your Steam Wishlist: Fill it up with all the games you're interested in picking up, and you'll be alerted the moment they go on sale, and how much they've been discounted by.
- Bundles are great: Publishers often pull their titles together in sale mega-packs, ramping up the savings to even greater heights. If there's a suite of titles from a publisher like Square Enix or Activision that you've never played before, this is the best – and cheapest – way to bag them all at once. As you'd imagine, the value diminishes if you've already got a few bundled titles in your library.
- Highlighted deals are where the real savings are: The majority of the Steam store back-catalogue will get some sort of price cut, but it's the 'Highlighted' deals (the ones promoted on the Steam front splash page) that tend to be more heavily discounted. These are the ones where you may fall into impulse-buy territory. Which leads us on to our next tip...
- Only buy what you'll actually play right away: Once those 75% off signs start floating around, you're going to want to break open the piggy-bank. But the Steam Sales of yesteryear have proved that our desire for overflowing game libraries leaves us with more titles than we could ever humanly play. Save some cash, and only grab the ones you're really going to play – keep in mind that if you wait a while, the games will almost certainly get cheaper as they get older.
- Use this browser extension: Want to make sure you're getting a good deal? Use the Enhanced Steam browser extension. This gives you a historical look at the price of all Steam games, letting you see just how many pennies have been saved.
What games will be in the Steam Sales?
First off, you shouldn't expect brand-new games to get the really steep discounts that have become synonymous with the Steam sales. You may see a 5%, or even 10% discount on games that have been recent big hits, but if they're still new enough to be spinning money without needing a price cut, don't expect that to change now that the sale is here.
But, with the exception of the newer titles, pretty much the entire store receives a 25% discount, if not higher, with a select few seeing a massive 90% off the list price. While the store now highlights what Valve considers the best deals, it's worth noting that flash and community sales are no longer in the mix, so feel free to pick a title on sale when you like – its discounted price will stand for the duration of the sale.
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