Gaming doesn’t have to drain your wallet if you know where to look for the best deals. While Steam sales are famous for slashing prices, there’s a world of savings beyond Valve’s platform. Thrifty gamers can find year-round discounts on sites like Green Man Gaming, CD Keys, and Fanatical, which often offer Steam keys at prices that make Steam look steep.
Today, I've gone one step further in my pursuit of savings, and I've unearthed some true gems for under $10 for PC. Here are 7 Steam PC games that offer hours upon hours of entertainment without the financial sting.
Monster Hunter: World
As a self-proclaimed game thrifter, Monster Hunter: World was a leap of faith for me—the first title I ever splurged on at full digital price. And it turned out to be worth every cent 100x over. At launch, the $59.99 price tag seemed steep, but the sheer volume of content was staggering, and I have so many amazing memories of playing and hunting with friends. Now, snagging it for a mere $8.61 feels like daylight robbery. This fifth installment in the Monster Hunter saga stands alone, requiring no prior series experience. As a Hunter, you’ll track and take down a menagerie of magnificent beasts, crafting gear from your conquests to challenge even mightier monsters.
With a whopping 14 weapons to choose from, there’s a style for every player, from the mighty great sword to the swift dual blades and the nimble insect glaive. Team up for electrifying multiplayer hunts or brave the wilds solo—sometimes, flying solo makes for an easier victory, given the limited fails allowed per hunt. As Monster Hunter Wilds looms on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to dive into the Monster Hunter universe. You’re looking at 50 hours of base content, with even more to explore if you opt for the Iceborne DLC. And let’s be real—the pre-hunt meal animations alone are worth the price of admission.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, is a game so good that Asmongold says it changed his life. Hyperbolic YouTube titles aside, it's a fantastic game with very positive reviews on Steam for its engaging single-player, top-down experience—perfect for PC and a blast on the Steam Deck.
As you start, you’re one of four classes, each with an auto-firing weapon, ready to be deployed into the vastness of space. Your mission: to squash endless swarms of insectoid enemies. As you delve deeper into each level, you’ll mine for gold and nitra, harvest rare minerals, and strive for upgrades. Each level’s objectives offer bonuses, fueling an addictive gameplay loop set to an awesome synth soundtrack, complete with hilarious dwarven banter. Though it’s a recent Early Access launch, it’s already cultivated an incredibly dedicated fan base. And at just $10, it’s an absolute steal for hours of entertainment.
Civilization VI
Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a classic turn-based strategy game where you try to build an empire that will stand the test of time. As the leader of your civilization, you'll need to engage in diplomacy, warfare, and technological advancement, guiding your people from the Stone Age to modern times. Basically, if you love playing God, this is the perfect game for you. Every decision you make matters and will reverberate down the timeline. Shockingly—it's just over $3 right now, which is staggering for a game with endless replayability like this. Every playthrough is truly unique as you expand your territory, manage resources, and compete with history's greatest leaders striving for domination. Civilization VI has long been celebrated for its complex gameplay and strategic depth, and if it really sucks you in, there are so many more ways to enrich your game such as the Rise and Fall expansion which is also reasonably priced.
Mr. Prepper
I've a true steal for you now, not just under $10, but under $1! Mr Prepper will appeal to those who have played Fallout Shelter, as it plays incredibly similar. Mr Prepper is thrust into a world teetering on the brink of nuclear war. You'll need to prepare for the impending doom and fight for your freedom against an oppressive government that send agents to inspect your house for signs of non-compliance. Your ultimate goal in the game is to construct the perfect underground shelter and craft a machine for your getaway from this tyranny. Build and maintain structures like farms and greenhouses, craft essential tools and vehicles, and occasionally trade with trusted neighbors to get resources. If you've ever watched the reality TV show Doomsday Preppers, this is basically that: the game. The game can seem a bit limited at times in its gameplay concepts, but for $0.99 it's worth adding to your library.
The Ascent
Imagine Diablo as a cyberpunk-themed shooter, and you have The Ascent. It's that familiar horde hunting XP grind but set against a beautiful and dystopian backdrop, within an arcology controlled by a megacorporation known as The Ascent Group. Though the combat itself is more twin-stick shooter than repetitive clicking.
Players take on the role of a worker enslaved by the company, navigating through a chaotic environment following the collapse of The Ascent Group. The game features customizable characters, a variety of weapons, cyberware upgrades for new skills and abilities, and a destructible environment that reacts to player actions. It offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, including local co-op and online co-op for up to four players. Depending on how much of a completionist you are, the game offers anything from 12 hours to 25 hours of gameplay, which for only $2.49 right now is wild. If you love it, there's DLC to enjoy in Cyber Heist, which adds melee combat to the game.
Loop Hero
When I was considering games that give bang for their buck under $10, of course, I wanted to recommend the mighty Vampire Survivors. However, I’d like to shift the focus to Loop Hero, a precursor to Vampire Survivors that boasts similar pixel graphics and addictive roguelike mechanics.
Loop Hero, developed by Four Quarters, initially lacked a story but was later built around the concept of a hero who can bring back items from memory to restore a world erased by an evil force. You begin by rebuilding a village and meeting companions, who also suffer from memory loss. The hero's journey involves facing the evil that caused the world's disappearance. The gameplay in Loop Hero is predominantly automated, but with you controlling the speed of movement and combat. Gear choices are crucial for developing a specific play style, such as focusing on health restoration or evasion. The 'loop system', which involves filling a boss meter by laying cards and making strategic decisions about when to do so, is a key element of the gameplay that you may find incredibly addictive, wanting to go 'just one more loop'.
Lethal Company
Lethal Company is a game you've no doubt heard of, the survival horror game had many players in a chokehold last year when it launched into Early Access, and it rose to popularity fast on Steam with 239,000 concurrent players. The premise is that players are employees of 'The Company' and tasked with scavenging abandoned moons for scrap to sell, navigating procedurally generated facilities fraught with traps, environmental hazards and monsters. As well as navigating the horrors of Lethal Company, players that fail to reach The Company's quota are unceremoniously ejected into space. It combines the tension of resource management with the unpredictability of procedurally generated environments.
Despite the high stakes, the game’s co-op mode has become a hit, celebrated for its sheer entertainment value—and at just $10, it’s an irresistible invitation to join the fray yourself. For solo adventurers, the game is exceedingly difficult, but the community has crafted a bunch of mods to smooth out the solo journey through space.
You can buy every game on this list for just over $40
For a grand total of just over $40, this curated list of 7 gaming steals is the epitome of a budget gamer’s dream collection. At $40.48, it’s a small price to pay for the vast hours of entertainment these titles provide. Whether you choose to dive into just one game or indulge in all seven, I guarantee you'll find your money well spent.
Transitioning from a console player to a Steam Deck enthusiast, I’ve been amazed at the ease of finding affordable games compared to on Xbox. The draw of Steam sales is strong, yet the true savings lie in knowing where to shop for game codes throughout the year.
If you have any other suggestions for bargain games, I'd love to hear them below!
