Did you know that some of the best Steam games ever made are available for $10 at regular price? Steam, as a platform, is known for its huge revolving discounts throughout the year that people pay attention to, but some games also stay cheap year-round. This list ranks some of the best games available on the platform for just $9.99, eliminating the need to wait for sales to get a low price on an excellent title.
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10. Gary’s Mod
This sandbox-style game has served as the base for tons of popular game concepts and ideas over the years. As its name suggests, the title originated as a mod from the evergreen Half-Life 2, and has inspired games like Trouble in Terrorist Town, Prop Hunt, and Death Run. By itself, it is a solid physics sandbox experience that helps players make the game they want to play.
9. Left 4 Dead 2
Considered one of the best co-op games of all time, Left 4 Dead 2 was foundational when it released and is still a solid experience today. It’s a shame this zombie survival co-op shooter has suffered under Valve’s curse of thirds. Left 4 Dead 3 has been teased in leaks over the years, but hasn’t gotten any closer to seeing the light of day.
8. Papers Please
A simple, yet engaging passport checking simulator with a wry sense of humor. As an immigration inspector, you must determine which individuals are criminals or spies and which to allow through, all while navigating corruption and managing your own expenses. Released back in 2013, the game maintains an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, something games on Steam only get by averaging over 95% positive reviews.
7. Luck be a Landlord
A rogue-light deckbuilding slot machine paying-your-rent simulation game that is as solid as it is unique. LocalThunk, the developer of the hit indie rogue-like Balatro, has cited this game as its main influence. You spin a slot machine, choosing which symbols to place, all in an attempt to fuel your brain’s dopamine center by hitting it big. Like Balatro, Luck be a Landlord has no DLC content to worry about picking up on sale and is one of those games I always find myself going back to because of how easy it is to get sucked in.
6. Dishonored
Dishonored is one of Arkane and Bethesda’s forgotten masterpieces, a series that delivered immersive first-person action and adventure as contemporaries started favoring a third-person perspective. One of the greatest games in the “playing as a lone guy with awesome superpowers” genre, the original Dishonored is such a great bargain at $9.99 for those who haven’t played it.
5. FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL: Faster Than Light feels to me like the definitive moment where roguelite/roguelike games cracked the formula and opened up the genre for the other excellent titles that came after it, like Slay the Spire. In FTL, you manage a varied crew in various spaceship encounters while trying to destroy the rebel flagship and win the game. Even comparing it to the games that improved on the formula after it, there’s no denying this gem’s enduring charm has aged well.
4. Half-Life 2
Consistently ranked among the best of the best at the top of Steam review scores, Half-Life 2 is a classic FPS that hit a rare double combo of amazing story and gameplay that elevated into the realm of legends. Even going back now, it still looks good for a 2004 game and is an experience that just hasn’t been replicated in the years since.
3. Fallout: New Vegas
That’s right, one of the most beloved Fallout RPGs is only $9.99 at regular price. Considered superior to the other modern Fallout games due to its incredible writing, character story, and memorable factions, I envy those who haven’t yet experienced its hundreds of compelling gameplay hours and wish I could play it again for the first time.
2. Portal 2
Often in the running for the highest reviewed Steam game on the platform, Portal 2 is often opined about as being a “perfect” video game for the way its gameplay informs the narrative and vice versa. It really is a cultural touchstone that needs to be played to understand how the intricate language of gaming has evolved.
1. Terraria
No doubt my placement of Terraria at the top of this list comes with some personal bias; however, the sidescrolling sandbox survival game deserves to be here regardless. In a decade defined by games slowly turning into big-budget movie-like productions, Terraria eschewed this formula and delivered one of the best gameplay experiences of the time. The tight progression of this game, combined with the sandbox freedom of titles like Minecraft, makes it an elite title that has clocked the most hours on my Steam profile. The fact that it still gets major content updates 14 years later is incredible, and if I were writing this list 14 years from now, I bet it would still be getting worked on. The recent Palworld collab update with Terraria forced me to play through it again from the beginning, and it feels like every time I play, I discover something new.
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