How to Survive a Steam Sale Without Buying 40 Games You'll Never Play
Steam sales are amazing and dangerous. Here's how to tell a real historical low from a routine discount, and how to keep your backlog from becoming a museum.
Grab the deal
My Steam library has over 300 games. I've played maybe 90 of them. Steam sales did that to me. So this guide is from someone who learned the hard way.
Know the sale calendar
Steam runs major seasonal sales several times a year, roughly spring, summer, autumn and winter, plus themed festivals in between. Big publisher sales also pop up. If a game isn't discounted today, there's a good chance it will be within a few months.
Check the historical low
Price tracking sites show a game's lowest price ever. If today's discount matches the historical low, buy. If it's 20 percent off when it's often been 60 percent off, wait.
The wishlist trick
Add games to your wishlist instead of buying on impulse. Steam emails you when they go on sale. Bonus: if a game sits on your wishlist for a year and you never felt like buying it, you didn't want it.
Avoid these traps
- **Bundles with games you already own.** Steam adjusts bundle prices for owned games, but check anyway.
- **Early access games at a discount.** Some never finish development. Buy based on what's there today.
- **"Complete" editions with DLC you'll never play.** The base game is often enough.
The backlog rule
My personal rule now: I can buy one new game per sale for every game I finished since the last sale. It sounds silly. It works.
Refund policy
Steam generally offers refunds if you've played less than two hours and bought it within the last two weeks. Use it if a game runs badly or just isn't for you.
Gift cards as a budget tool
Buy a Steam gift card with a set budget before the sale starts. When it's gone, you're done. Retailers sometimes discount gaming gift cards too.
Where to buy gift cards
Amazon, Walmart, Target and GameStop all sell Steam and console gift cards, and some run promotions around big sales seasons. It's an easy way to set a spending limit.
Verdict
Wishlist everything, buy only at or near historical lows, and set a budget. And maybe play some of the games you already own. I'm working on it too.
Grab the deal
More price drops
Physical vs Digital Games: Which One Actually Saves Money Over a Year
Digital games are convenient, physical games can be resold. I tracked a year of purchases to see which format really costs less for a typical player.