I love Steam sales. I mean who doesn’t its like Christmas multiple times a year. On the 11th steam kicked off their annual sale for the Lunar New Year and we have some great deals on strategy and strategy-related games.
Before I get into it, I wanted to take a minute to explain my rationale for the picks. Unless otherwise stated I have hands-on experience with each of the games and would recommend them based on my experience with them. Also, I tried to pick the games with the larger discounts. I shot for around 30% or higher but there are a few exceptions. I also tried to stay away from the super-popular games and try to give some lesser-known titles a bit of love if I did choose a big title it’s due to its discount being very good.
I had a more graphicly pleasing article started but it was taking way to long to compose it so I went for something much simpler. Let me know if you want longer and simpler or shorter and more appealing. (screenshots and such)
All of these have The Strategy Informer seal of approval.
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Let’s get to it!
Boardgames
Wingspan -25% $14.00
One of the best board game conversions available. card drafting and dice rolling game with the theme being birds! 8.11 BGG score.
One Deck Dungeon -60% $3.99
Solo or co-op roguelike card and dice game. Excellent digital conversion. Handelabra knows their card games. Pixelated Cardboards game of the year 2018. DLC adds new characters and dungeons.
Sentinels Of The Multiverse -80% $1.99
The game that started the Handelabra empire. Kickstarted this one when it was an actual card game. The digital recreation is perfect. As far as I know, all the DLC (and there is a lot) has been converted and they are also adding steam workshop support. If you don’t want to take the plunge there is a demo. 1-4 co-op.
Aeon’s End -50% $7.49
Hey, look it’s another Handelabra game!. This time it’s deckbuilding against the big evil with wizards. The enhancements to the formula really show how this style of game is being evolved.
Twilight Struggle -50% $4.99
One of the best board games ever made. This is a steal at the discount. This is one of the best cold war games along with Terminal Conflict (lower in the list). The conversion is perfect the AI is good. The two-player is async.
Splendor -60% $3.99
Award-winning digital conversion of the board game. This shines with online async players. The DLC is very good and on sale as well.
Lords Of Waterdeep -50% $4.99
For a while, Lords Of Waterdeep reigned as one of the best Euro-style worker placement game. Ranked 71 of Board Game Geek’s top 100. The 2 expansions are dirt cheap.
Gremlins Inc -65% $5.24
This fantastic take that board movement game for up to 6 or Solo play against bots. Capitalist steampunk goblins is a theme and they love to cause mayhem. Well supported with updates. New expansion just released. Cosmetic DLC previously.
Armello -60% $7.99
Armello is hot… It’s one of the best dice-based digital boardgames out there. They release new dice to collect all the time and it is a blast to play. The price is excellent. The artwork is to die for.
Ascension -50% $4.99
One of the first competitive deck builders with a central market. The AI is excellent. It comes with a good deal of expansions and the most recent expansions are cheap.
Steam: Rails To Riches Golden Train Edition -65% $8.66
Steam is one of the beat railroad boardgames. Legendary designer Martain Wallace gives us this excellent route builder and tile layer with all the trappings for auctions and bidding. The Golden riches version has all the DLC and is the best deal!
Card Game, Deckbuilder, Roguelite
Faeria -60% $7.99
CCG played on a grid. PVP and PVE no pack to buy (there is DLC that adds cards though). You get all the cards but you play to unlock them. PC, Console and Switch versions all cross-play together so there is a good player base.
Cultist Simulator -33% $13.39
I am a huge fan of anything Alexis Kennedy (Fallen London, Sunless Sea) touches. It’s not just the subject matter but he brings things to life really well. Cultist Simulator is a very unique game where you play actions, events, and people on various things, places, and objects. I am doing a poor job of describing it as half the fun is learning how things interact. I do not suggest watching others play and spoiling the discovery. The DLC adds a good deal.
Ring of Pain -25% 14.99
If you know me, you know I love Ring of Pain. Check out our review of it here
It has gotten even better with recent updates and most criticisms are have either been addressed or are on a roadmap. Sound and graphics really elevate this game up.
Gordian Quest -25% $14.99
While this is Early Access a 25% price drop on a game that is already in a great state is a good deal. Multi-character deckbuilder RPG where character placement in battle is an important factor. The game is unique in a crowded field of roguelites.
Iris and the Giant -50% $8.99
If you look up, tight game design there may see a picture of Iris and The Giant. While not the most expansive deckbuilder roguelite this has ALL the features one would want from it. For less than 10$ this is a steal, heck at full price I think this is a steal.
Shadowhand: RPG Card Game -50% $7.49
STAND AND DELIVER – Solitaire meets RPG. Grey Alien Games knows how to make Solitare fun as heck. Focusing on a good number of solitaire games this one adds a battle and equipment system into the mix. I am a big fan!
RPG
Tyranny -75% -75% 9.99
An excellent example of a narrative first choices matter CRPG. Obsidian hit this out of the park and I would love to see more.
Star Traders Frontiers -35$ 9.74
Over 250 content updates since the release. This game is EPIC. The developers have honed this game to a razor’s edge and added more. Incredible post-release support. I will buy anything these guys make due to this.
Starpoint Gemini Warlords -80% $6.99
In my opinion the best of the Starpoint Gemini space fairing RPG. 3rd Person space combat mixed with RPG and some 4x thrown in just for fun.
Warsaw 60% 9.59$
Do you wish Darkest Dungeon took place during World War 2? This game is brutal but takes the Darkest Dungeon formula and brings it to an interesting location with interesting characters. Try to survive in Poland at the start of the war for 63 days.
Iratus Lord Of The Dead – Lord Of The Dead Necromancer Edition $17.31
Kind of a reverse Darkest Dungeon. You play the bad guy and you send our your minions to stop the pesky good guys. While not a unique concept this game is a blast. Buy the pack with the DLC it is cheaper than buying the base game and DLC even though both are on sale.
Builder, Management
Banished -66% $6.79
Banished is one of the best examples of an excellent one-man project (well the music was his brother). This excellent survival city-builder was all the rage for the first year after it was released. But if you have no had a chance to play it. Well now is a great time as the price drop is awesome. Steam Workshop support and mods like Colonial Charter immensely add value to the game.
Project Highrise -72% $5.56
Do you remember Sim Tower? Maxis designed an elevator and highrise building game. (elevator concepts are very important for people and needs flow). Project Highrise as an excellent spiritual successor. Allowing you to build the highrise of your dream and attempt for max population and efficiency. DLC is very good as well.
Dead In Vinland -50% $9.99
For some reason, I really enjoy these survival management styles of games. Dead In Bermuda was the first one and now we have Dead In Vinland. Difficult and I think this genre should be difficult so it fits. One of the DLC allows you to have a dog that you get to assign and order and I must say that is a must-have even though it’s another mouth to feed.
War for the Overworld -80% $5.99
I hear you liked Dungeon Keeper… This indie dungeon keeper that was in EA for ages and matured into an excellent game is on a deep discount. If you like this style of smacking the crap out of the imps so they work faster and kill the pesky intruder’s builder games this is a no-brainer to pick up.
This War Of Mine -75% $4.99
Will 11-Bit studios ever make a happy game? This war of mine is an excellent survival builder game. It is enjoyable to experience but not an enjoyable experience. Due to the subject matter, it’s not supposed to be. The game is inspired by the 1992-1996 siege of Sarajevo Workshop and character creators. DLC adds children (how sad)
Jurassic World Evolution -75% $11.74
This AAA licensed Jurassic World story mission park builder is excellent. The DLC is pricy when not on sale but it does add more missions and dinos and such. It is completely not necessary to get the story DLC until you complete the main game.
RTS
Radio Commander -75% $4.99
One of the most unique RTS style games out there. Attempting to simulate the situation of a commander in a tent while his men are out in the field and the logistics behind orders, delay, and execution. I highly recommend it at under 5$ the DLC is a great addition and I suggest picking it up at the same time.
Battlefleet Gothic Armada II 70% $8.99
The original was ship-to-ship warfare skirmishes and while the sequel builds on this it also adds a strategic layer that is very 3X like (there is no diplomacy). It’s not without issues but it is great!
Company Of Heroes 2 -75% $4.99 With Ardennes Assault -50% $4.99
Company of Heros is one of the best WW2 RTS games ever made. CoH2 is better in every way. The DLC model is a bit extensive though but maybe totally optional at this point in time except for the Ardennes DLC which makes this a complete strategy map-based wargame. Instead of missions to missions, you choose your missions based on a map. It enhances single-player greatly.
AI WAR 2 -55% $8.99
This asymmetric fight to survive RTS is intense. The amount of units you are going to see destroyed (on both sides) is immense. While the gameplay is nail-biting it is not as APM orientated as some other RTS games. Currently, it’s you vs the big bad AI, but they are adding multiplayer in beta.
Star Wars Empire At War Gold Pack -65% $6.99
My favorite modern (well if 2006 is modern) Star Wars game. This is a great RTS game where you take planets, produce fleets, control heroes, and engage in tactical real-time combat. It’s like 3 games in one. The ground combat layer is bad but the rest of the game makes up for it. The mod scene here is very active and very good. This game is worth it just for the mods!.
Wargame Red Dragon -80% $5.99
Eugine systems have a history of some excellent RTS games covering WW2 and the modern military. Red Dragon is the best of the Wargame series and includes a great campaign covering land, naval, and air conflict. If you have not picked this up yet jump on it. The multiplayer community has mostly moved on to Steel Panthers 2 but the solo game here is great!. (and you can still find multi)
Turn-Based, 4X
Terminal Conflict 30% $20.99 DLC 33% Off
It one of the best Cold War games ever made. With its roots in the canceled paradox game East Vs. West this absolute joy of a game has come an amazing way since early access. It’s a learning curve and a half but it is well worth getting invested in. Updates and Enhancements seem to be weekly at this point. Has a community that plays weekly against the developers (Terminal Thursday). I highly recommend getting the Eyes Only DLC pack (designed by the same mod team that did Road to 56′ for Hearts Of Iron 4)
Battle Brothers -50% $14.99
Turn-based mercenary management company game. Permadeath really kicks this up a notch trying to keep your battle bros in fighting shape and keep the money, troops, and training coming in. The game is fantastic and the DLC adds a good deal to it.
Invisible Inc 75% $4.99
Klei always delivers and Invisibile Inc. Is no exception. Turn-based stealth roguelike. Sneaking and Hacking play a very important role very much more than kinetic weapons. 4.99 is a no-brainer just get it…
Imperiums: Greek Wars 34% $19.79
This deep 4X game which is one of the best 4X games released last year has a very nice discount. It brings some unique features to the genre and some excellent post-release content (Troy was added for free). Very nice price drop. Very nice game.
Unity Of Command II 50% $14.99
Unity of Command was a very special approachable wargame that I absolutely loved except for one problem. I dislike the eastern front. I don’t know why… People have called me a caveman due to it though. Unity of Command II brings it to the western front! With an absolute ton of enhancements.
Age Of Wonders Planetfall -75% $12.49
One of the few games on this list that I have yet to play. I do own it just have not broken it out. The reviews are extremely good. AOW3 is one of my HOMM style games. I am sure I will love Planetfall when I get to it. 75% off is so good!
Warhammer 40k Gladius -65% $13.99
With an amazing AI design (that actually had features removed from it so it was a bit easier) this 3X Warhammer game will keep you going for quite some time.
Endless Space_2 -75% $9.99
In the style of Masters Of Orion 2 amplitude spins it around with their lore, factions, and style. It’s quite a solid game and brings a good number of unique features to the genre of MOOlike.
Imagine Earth 35% $12.99
I backed this game 6!!! Years ago. It has received major updates monthly since then! The entire game has pretty much been revamped over the years. It’s a very interesting blend of trading, colony management, environmental protection and has a puzzle piece style of building.
Godhood 50% $13.49
Something about this turn-based auto battler that really got me going. It has a very rough start at the beginning of Early Access and recovered beautifully. Create a god and train your disciples to beat the hell out of the other disciples in auto battler combat to be the best god. I am doing the explanation no justice.
Neo Scavenger -75% $3.74
One of the best roguelikes I have played. This is hard as nails (I have not come CLOSE to beating it ever). But the journey along the way was a blast. Post-Apocalyptic, Survival Roguelite fun! The developer’s new game Ostranauts is one to watch as well.
You really can’t go wrong with any of these!
Semi-retired game designer and developer trying to use my experience to enhance the strategy and strategy adjacent gaming sector. Strategy game player for over 35 years. Game development experience in AAA, Indie, and Board.
