The Steam Autumn Sale has begun, Steam Award nominations are now being taken

The Steam Autumn Sale has begun, and once again the gang at Valve is taking nominations for this year's Steam Awards . Steam users can put their favorites up for consideration in the following categories, four returning from previous years and four brand new:

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Did you miss the most recent Steam sale? Don't worry, we can tell you when the next Steam sale is and how to prioritize getting the best deals.

Game of the Year
VR Game of the Year
Labor of Love
Better With Friends
Most Innovative Gameplay
Outstanding Story-Rich Game
Best Game You Suck At
Outstanding Visual Style

Nominating games will earn you a badge that can be advanced through four levels by completing "tasks," like playing or reviewing a game you've nominated. Nominations will be open through the Autumn Sale, and voting will take place during the Winter Sale, which is expected to begin on December 19. Winners will be announced on December 31.

And yes, there's a sale afoot, too. There's a lot to see and throw your money at, as usual, and also as usual I feel compelled to point out that Max Payne 3 is a stylish and excellent shooter, worthy of the Max Payne name and well worth the current $7/£5/€7 price. (Hey, you have your holiday traditions, I have mine.)

I never thought I'd actually say this, but given the recent announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, this is also a good opportunity to make sure you're caught up on all things Half-Life before the new game comes out. Every game in the series is 90 percent off, which makes them about a buck each, or you can save a few cents by springing for The Orange Box (remember how big that was, way back when?) which is down to $3. It doesn't include the original Half-Life but if you haven't played that yet then it's probably best to just let it go.

See any other particularly primo deals? Let us know in the comments. The 2019 Steam Autumn Sale runs until December 3.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.