Steam Winter Sale Archives

AppWizard

February 13, 2026

After just 2 years on sale, 7 ’90s-era Jurassic Park games are getting delisted this March

The Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection will be delisted from Steam and other digital storefronts after March 31. The collection is priced at £25. It was released in November 2023 and has had sales, with prices dropping to £6.25 during the recent Steam Winter Sale. Limited Run Games has committed to transparency regarding the delisting process and aims to give fans ample opportunity to purchase the game before it is removed from the marketplace.

AppWizard

January 20, 2026

Football Manager 26 is never being saved as the game just flubbed its most important sales period

January typically sees a surge in player engagement for Football Manager due to the reopening of the transfer window and the return to regular routines after the holiday season. However, this year, the expected increase in activity for FM26 has not materialized. Currently, only 29.78 percent of user reviews for FM26 on SteamDB are positive, making it one of the lowest-rated games on the platform, in contrast to FM24's 89.48 percent approval rating. FM26 has around 33,500 concurrent players, with a 24-hour peak of approximately 55,800, and an all-time high of 84,909 shortly after its November launch. Despite attracting players, recent data shows a flat trend in early January, with a slight decline of about 0.9 percent in peak player numbers over the past month. December saw a peak concurrency drop of over 31 percent from November, and FM26 ranks around #83 for daily active users and #119 in top sellers on Steam. Twitch viewership has also been low, with peaks of roughly 1,400 viewers. Historically, January has been crucial for Football Manager, as it is a time for players to engage with the game more deeply, but this year's stagnation in player activity is unusual and may impact the game's ecosystem and community engagement throughout the year.

AppWizard

January 7, 2026

Fallout Games Get Uptick in Concurrent Players on PC in Midst of Amazon Prime Show’s Second Season

The Amazon Prime Video's Fallout series has significantly increased player engagement with the franchise, particularly for Fallout 76, as noted by creative director Jon Rush in March 2025. Data from PCGamer shows a rise in concurrent players across Bethesda-era Fallout titles: Fallout 3's peak player count increased from nearly 700 to just under 1,000; Fallout 4's average rose from about 22,000 to nearly 33,000; and Fallout: New Vegas jumped from approximately 8,000 to around 15,000 players. Fallout 76's average player count climbed from about 20,000 to a peak of nearly 30,000. Bethesda is committed to supporting Fallout 76 with updates like the Glow of the Ghoul and is considering a remastered version of Fallout 3. Todd Howard confirmed that Fallout 5's narrative will be influenced by the Amazon series, acknowledging community requests for remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Hidden-gem strategy game where you take over a cyberpunk city as a sentient AI adds a new mode for the “truly sadistic”

Heart of the Machine, a city-building sandbox game by Arcen Games, launched in early access in January 2025. It combines elements of 4X strategy, RPG-like narratives, and tactical combat. Following a significant update that eased some challenging endgame elements, players requested a return to the original difficulty, leading to the introduction of 'Misery mode,' designed for those seeking extreme challenges. The game has been adjusted to make key routes easier for new players, and it allows exploration of alternate timelines. Arcen Games is working on finalizing tier-three goals for the game's eventual 1.0 release, with a planned post-launch update for the 'Stars Beyond Reach' route. Heart of the Machine is currently available at a 50% discount during the Steam Winter Sale, priced at .99 / £12.49, and has a 92% positive recommendation rate from players.

AppWizard

January 4, 2026

PC players hand Silksong their Game of the Year gong over Expedition 33 as the 2025 Steam Awards winners are announced

Hollow Knight Silksong won the Game of the Year title at the 2025 Steam Awards, determined by user votes. It also received the 'Best Game You Suck At' award, making it the only title to secure two wins that year. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Best Soundtrack. Baldur's Gate 3 received the 'Labor of Love' award, while Hades 2 was named 'Best Game on Steam Deck.' Dispatch won 'Outstanding Story-Rich Game,' Silent Hill f received 'Outstanding Visual Style,' The Midnight Walk was named 'VR Game of the Year,' and RV There Yet won the 'Sit Back and Relax' award. Arc Raiders was recognized for 'Most Innovative Gameplay.' Hollow Knight Silksong reached the 'platinum' tier of bestsellers during the Steam Winter Sale.

AppWizard

January 4, 2026

30 hidden gems from 2025 to grab before the Steam Winter Sale ends

The PC gaming landscape in 2025 features a diverse array of new titles, many receiving critical acclaim. A selection of 15 standout games has been curated based on specific criteria: they were released or re-released in 2025, received little to no prior coverage, have around 95% positive user ratings, offer offbeat yet accessible gameplay, are discounted by a minimum of 30%, and include one game per genre. 1. Project Silverfish - Price: £17.50 (30% off); Developer: Siris Pendrake; A non-linear shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world with lizard-people and multi-faction battles. 2. Contract Rush DX - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: Figburn & Melon; A platformer blending elements of Mega Man and Contra with vector animation and humor, allowing players to tackle levels in any order. 3. Godpoke - Price: £10.05 (40% off); Developer: LimboLane; An adventure where players mend quarrelsome gods using a dialogue-stealing mechanic to solve puzzles. 4. Missile Command Delta - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: 13AM Games, Mighty Yell; A tactical hex-based strategy game with a teen drama narrative and point-and-click puzzles. 5. Shooty Shooty Robot Invasion - Price: £5.10 (40% off); Developer: Bubby Darkstar; A humorous FPS where players navigate a beach while dealing with quirky robot foes. 6. Maliki: Poison Of The Past - Price: £15 (40% off); Developer: Blue Banshee; A JRPG-inspired title featuring time travel and turn-based combat based on a webcomic. 7. Desecrators - Price: £7 (30% off); Developer: Woodhound; A roguelike shooter with procedurally generated levels and online co-op support. 8. Wyrmhall - Price: £2.55 (70% off); Developer: Leafy Games; A game where players manage an artifact-cleaning stall in an interdimensional nexus. 9. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: Pocket Trap; An adventure game featuring dungeon-crawling and puzzle-solving mechanics inspired by classic Zelda games. 10. Lingo 2 - Price: £5.95 (30% off); Developer: Brenton Wildes; A word puzzle adventure set in a minimalist block labyrinth. 11. Skogdal - Price: £8.37 (50% off); Developer: Erlend Kirkeboe, Kay Arne Kirkeboe; A deck-building game set in a quirky, 90s Norway with humor and strategic gameplay. 12. Schism - Price: £6.50 (35% off); Developer: Fami; A low-fi action roguelike with a punk aesthetic and intense combat. 13. My Little Puppy - Price: £14.69 (30% off); Developer: Dreamotion Inc.; An emotional adventure following a corgi's journey through the afterlife. 14. Decade - Price: £5.95 (30% off); Developer: Last Piscean; A narrative-driven game exploring time travel consequences in a post-apocalyptic world. 15. Kiloton - Price: £2.14 (50% off); Developer: Jack Morehart; A minimalist strategy game simulating geopolitical tensions with quick decision-making.

AppWizard

January 3, 2026

Free PC Games This Week: Epic Games Is Giving Away Two Titles, Amazon Prime Gaming Is Offering Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and More

Epic Games Store is offering two games: Total War: Three Kingdoms, available until January 8, 2026, and Wildgate, also available until January 8, 2026. Amazon Prime Gaming is providing three games: Dreamscaper, available until February 2, 2026; Living Legends: The Crystal Tear – CE, available until March 2, 2026; and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, available until February 2, 2026. Additionally, the Steam Winter sale features discounts on popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

AppWizard

January 3, 2026

The PC game releases we’re most excited about in January

January typically sees a quieter period for PC gaming, with many anticipated titles debuting later in the month. Notable releases include: - January 12: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (Steam) - Players act as a checkpoint officer in a zombie apocalypse. - January 26: Highguard (Steam) - A free-to-play hero shooter facing skepticism. - January 29: Cairn (Steam) - A mountain climbing game praised by early players. Upcoming gaming events and sales include: - CES from January 6-9. - Steam Winter Sale (December 18 - January 5). - Detective Fest (January 12 - January 19). - Board Game Fest (January 26 - February 2). - Taipei Game Show (January 29 - February 1). Early access launches in January: - January 6: StarRupture (Steam) - A sci-fi base building and defense game. - January 22: Bladesong (Steam) - Players craft blades in a dark fantasy setting. - January TBA: Echoes of Elysium (Steam) - A co-op airship survival RPG delayed from December. Major updates and events: - January 20: World of Warcraft's Midnight Pre-Expansion Content Update. - January 12: Anthem concludes its service. - January 22: Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven expansion introduces new content. Additional game releases in January include: - January 9: Pathologic 3 (Steam). - January 12: Big Hops (Steam). - January 15: Craftlings (Steam) and Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon (Steam). - January 16: BrokenLore: Unfollow (Steam). - January 20: Mio: Memories in Orbit (Steam). - January 21: Dynasty Warriors Origins: Visions of Four Heroes (Steam). - January 22: Nova Roma (Steam) and Arknights: Endfield (Epic). - January 28: The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin (Steam) and The Midnight Walkers (early access). - January 29: Don't Stop, Girlypop! (Steam).

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

The best digital game sales right now on PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox

Gamers can take advantage of significant discounts on major digital gaming platforms as the holiday season ends. Discounts reach up to 90% on select titles, with notable games from 2023, such as Split Fiction, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, available at 30% to 50% off. The Steam Winter Sale features discounts on titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (20% off), Baldur’s Gate 3 (25% off), and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (50% off). The GOG Winter Sale offers DRM-free games, including Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete (50% off) and The Witcher series (85% off). The Nintendo eShop Sale includes Super Mario Odyssey (30% off) and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (60% off). The PlayStation Holiday Sale features discounts on Arc Raiders (20% off) and Elden Ring (35% off). The Xbox Countdown Sale offers discounts on Battlefield 6 (30% off) and Hogwarts Legacy: Deluxe Edition (85% off). The sales conclude between January 2 and January 21, 2026, depending on the platform.

AppWizard

December 25, 2025

Sci-Fi Survival Horror Game Free on the Epic Games Store for 24 Hours

The Epic Games Store offers free games weekly, with a special holiday promotion providing a new free game every 24 hours. The latest free game, The Callisto Protocol, will be available from December 24th at 11 AM ET until December 25th at 11 AM ET. Players who claim it will retain access indefinitely. The Callisto Protocol is a narrative-driven third-person survival horror game set in a futuristic environment, where players escape a high-security prison while facing monstrous inmates. It received a Metacritic rating of 69 and mixed reviews on Steam, with praise for its graphics and narrative but criticism for combat variety. The Steam Winter Sale runs until January 5th, and the next free title from the Epic Games Store will be announced on December 25th at 11 AM ET.