Steam Sale Writer’s Picks – July 18th

100 selling games

Good Monday, everyone! It’s the hottest day of the year so far in the UK, and while it might not be as hot as the US or Australia gets, we have no such thing as air-conditioning, so there.

Whilst I melt after believing that three cold beers would help my situation, here are my top picks from this week’s Steam sale games.

Undertale has 30% off this week. Can you believe I’ve not played it? However, I am a Tumblr user, so have seen post upon post dedicated to this indie title. It was, in no less a term, a phenomenon, not only amongst Tumblr users, but users of YouTube and other platforms. Plus, the soundtrack is enough on its own to sell this one to me.

Undertale is a sentimental RPG, heavy on emotion and character development. Choices that you make at every stage affect the progression of the story, and the battle system includes the option to negotiate with your enemy. So you can complete the game without one fight. It looks to be a cross between a Tell Tale adventure and an episode of Sliders.

The game is full of unique humour and touching moments and characters. As a result, the fanbase is loyal and strong. Stay away from the fanfics and nsfw art though.

Next up, Bastion has 80% off. It’s another fan-favourite indie RPG. It’s too hot to go outside, so I’m staying in to play RPGs I recommend you do the same. It’s hard to believe that Bastion is already five years old. It doesn’t show in any way. There is a timeless beauty to the art style, which is a mix of cartoon and watercolour painting, and the soundtrack is a staple in my Spotify playlists.

Bastion’s story is captivating and enthralling, and is delivered to you with fantastic narration and direction, so be prepared to get lost in it.

Alpha Runner is quoted as being an “endless platform game”. It’s 75% off this week, and that’s down from only a few pennies/cents as it is. You play as a rather blocky, odd looking character and navigate your way further forward in a 2D platform environment. The progression is satisfying, and the difficulty increases as you go. You can pick up and play any time you like, so advancement can be as fast-paced or leisurely as you like. The aim is to beat high scores on the leaderboard, so get running!

I spotted a game that at first glance could be quite similar, but in practice is an entity of its own. Mindless Running has 51% off this week – what an odd number. This game is something that a YouTuber would love, as there’s so much to discuss during gameplay. The actual controls and system are simple, but it gets super hard super quick, and as a result becomes infuriating. However, the adorable characters and quirky writing and translation make up for it. It is my sense of humour, hands down.

I would recommend some strategy games, or fighting games, or even racing games, but I’m sitting in front of Bastion with one electric fan in my face and another by my legs, and I feel unable to do much more.

Hope you don’t melt, and I will see you next week!