After putting together a list of some of the big, well-known games currently on sale in the Steam Autumn Sale, I asked the PC Gamer team for some deeper cuts—games they're real sickos for, but that haven't gotten enough love. Here's what they brought to the table.
The ones where you have to read
Skald: Against the Black Priory ($6.74 at 55% off) is one of my favorite games of the 2020s. I would be a Sardaukar for High North Studios because of this game. It does the "as you remember it" thing for DOS RPGs (Gold Box, Ultima) graphics-wise, but the gameplay is a lot fresher—I'm talking late '90s RPGs. But the biggest surprise is the writing: Some of the most affecting cosmic horror I've yet seen in a game, delivered with amazing prose.
To Be or Not To Be ($2 at 60% off) is one of the finest choose-your-own-adventure books on Steam. It's a retelling of Hamlet by Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics fame, only you don't have to be boring old Hamlet and can instead be Ophelia or the ghost of Hamlet's dad, with art by a variety of webcomics legends like the creators of Axe Cop, Penny Arcade, and Hark! A Vagrant.
Grab Schrödinger's Call ($14 at 20% off). I don't care if visual novels aren't usually your thing. Schrödinger's Call is for anyone who enjoys LARPing as a broody bastard and has major longing and regret hours after midnight. It's around ten hours of taking calls from lost souls who can't let go as the world ends, and doing your best to be their refuge as the last voice they'll hear. I loved sobbing over my Steam Deck.
Think the best Vampire: The Masquerade game is still Bloodlines 1? Well, you're right, but it's not the only banger in that series. Shadows of New York is a visual novel that captures the setting's vibes pitch-perfectly and it's cheap as chips right now. It's also significantly responsible for making me write about games, which is either a point in its favour or an unforgivable crime, depending on your inclination.
Underappreciated shooters
Necromunda: Hired Gun was a mess at launch, which is a shame because underneath all the bugs and glitches it's a hell of a game. I can attest to this, because I didn't play it until about a year after release, and it was an absolute blast: Fast, bloody, super-violent, janky enough to have personality without being straight-up broken, and Warhammer enough to sell the vibe without requiring that you know who the subcommander of the second company of the Star Eaters Legion is. Huge, sprawling levels, big boom guns, enemies that splat pleasingly, and there's even a dog friend! I had more fun with Hired Gun than I did with Doom Eternal, and that's no lie—it's a genuine banger for just $6 (85% off the regular price).
You really should check out Wild Bastards ($5.24 at 85% off). I do not care for roguelites, but this space western FPS nails the format with quick, decisive shootouts, a bevy of cowboys with distinct abilities, and elevating tension throughout a run. I don't know why it only has 620 Steam reviews after two years—it's really good and a Steam Deck all-star, if that matters to you.
Chillout corner
It's October, time to switch from iced to hot lattes and throw your cozy gaming into spooky gear. Beacon Pines is a niche cozy horror game about kids in a small town where folks are going missing. The whole Mad-Libs storybook puzzle element isn't actually hard, but it made me laugh out loud multiple times. It's a weird and spooky story that doesn't get too dark, and at $6 and about six hours it's a perfect spooky season snack.
It's the perfect time to finally set up shop in fantasy management sim Tavern Keeper ($20.99 at 30% off): A big new update just arrived today that lets you dig cellars under your pub, hire blacksmiths, and assign new duties to staff members. Even in early access, it's an utterly engrossing sim with deep systems and brilliant design tools.
For the tacticians
They say 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' Well, in the warring fantasy lands of The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily, you can turn a streaming airship to your advantage. Like jangling keys in front of a baby, you can lock down entire bases by pumping out a riveting speech overhead—or turn those units to your side with the handily named 'Betrayal Stream'. Naturally, what's happening on the ground is much more interesting though; the emperor has been slain, and protagonist Scarlet stands accused. Completely disinterested in proving her innocence, it's up to you to either let Scarlet rampage across the land or unite it under the same blood red banner. Did I mention the good ending involves a great big lesbian wedding?
In an age where we're spoiled for Warhammer games, 2015's Mordheim: City of the Damned ($2 at 90% off) is criminally overlooked. It's a turn-based tactics game where you manage a customizable warband venturing into Warhammer Fantasy's most-accursed city to secure invaluable, equally accursed Wyrdstone. It's admittedly clunky, but if you can stomach a healthy serving of jank and a stiff learning curve (I recommend this leveling guide), the crunchy combat and progression systems powering your bespoke, battle-scarred band of Mordheim misfits will offer what's still one of the most flavorful Warhammer sandboxes available. I'll always cherish my one-armed Skaven assassin and his ragged pack of rat boys.
I was searching for something a bit more off the beaten track, but then I spotted Endless Legend 2's wild discount ($24.99 at 50% off). Amplitude's exceptional 4X only left early access a couple of weeks ago, and this is the cheapest it's ever been. The eccentric factions—including sand-obsessed terraformers and vampiric ghosts encased in armour—are one of the biggest hooks with this bad boy, but equally impressive is the way the studio has stretched out the exploration phase, the best part of any 4X, by pushing back the ocean and revealing new lands waiting to be explored and exploited throughout your campaign.
