Some of you may be uncomfortable reading this, but Steam turns 20 today. Launched on September 12, 2003, the game launcher practically synonymous with PC gaming is not only celebrating a new milestone, but it’s inviting us to the party, too—in the form of some steeply discounted games.
In honor of the anniversary, a retrospective page has gone live on Steam’s front page. It chronicles the launcher’s history year by year, highlighting the developments on the platform and the top games. (Has it really been only eight years that we could get refunds? Also rest in peace, Steam Machine initiative.) While there’s no cake, you do get something sweet: many of those popular games can be had for as little as $1. Some for even less.
The biggest sales are naturally on Valve games—as typical during Steam sales, they’ve been discounted the most. But this time some are even cheaper than before, dropping to just mere pennies. Team Fortress? 50 cents. Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode 2? 79 cents each. Mega fan-favorites like Half-Life, Left4Dead, and Portal 2 are all just $1. Nearly the whole Valve catalog can be had for a song. Sure, the cheapest are the oldest of them, but the low prices soften the blow of catching up on lost time—or realizing how old you really are now.
Other games from other publishers are at rock-bottom prices, too. Just Cause 2? Just under $4. Assassin’s Creed games? Most are anywhere from 70 to 90 percent off, with Origins going for just $9 and Odyssey $12. (Some of the DLC is on sale as well.) The Call of Duty 20th anniversary sale is running concurrently right now, too. You can also snag Mass Effect Legendary Edition for $12, as part of the EA sale.
If you’ve already bought every Valve game multiple times over because they keep being so cheap, there’s still a few gifts you can partake of that are new—and they’re free. In the points shop, you can pick up some cute art that includes backgrounds and stickers. Personally, I’m all about the Nyan Glados animated sticker, but that 20th anniversary profile background is pretty great, too.
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld
A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.