Valve launched the 2014 Steam Holiday Sale on Thursday, with discounts on more PC games than you could ever hope to play in a single lifetime. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes , Dark Souls II , Civilization: Beyond Earth , and more all had their prices slashed from 33 to 85 percent.
The Steam Holiday Sale starts today!: #WeekendDeal #SteamSale #SteamDailyDeal http://t.co/AoImrHpgk9
— Steam (@steam_games) December 18, 2014
The Steam Holiday Sale will run through January 2, 2015. Once the clock strikes 1 p.m. ET on that day, it is all over.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is likely the headliner for the current sale. It was just released for the PC today, and the normally $19.99 prologue game to The Phantom Pain is already 33 percent off. If you happen to be an Xbox owner, you should go check out the Xbox LIVE Countdown to 2015 sale to get it even cheaper.
Other highlights for the first day of the Steam sale include State of Decay for just $5 and Dark Souls II marked down to $21.
While there are hundreds of games currently on sale, it’s best to remember these well-worn tips.
First, wait for the Featured, Flash, or Community Deal. These will always be your biggest discounts on the game. Avoid purchasing a game from the general sale because you may end up kicking yourself later if you purchase it and it turns up cheaper later.
Second, wait for the Encore Sale if you miss a Featured or Flash deal. Steam always runs an Encore Sale on the final day of a sale promotion. This is the time to get the Featured or Flash deals you missed along with anything else.
Don’t forget that you can also vote on the Community Deal. The winner of these are usually the popular title or the game with the biggest discount, but you can always at least participate.
You can check out the Featured and Flash Deals that are available for the first day of the Steam Holiday sale below.
Featured Deals (End Saturday, December 20 at 12:59 ET)
| Title | Discount | Cost |
| Civilization: Beyond Earth | 40% | $29.99 |
| Dark Souls II | 65% | $20.99 |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 85% | $3.74 |
| Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes | 33% | $13.39 |
| Rocksmith 2014 | 63% | $14.79 |
| Space Engineers | 50% | $9.99 |
| Sniper Elite III | 50% | $24.99 |
| State of Decay | 75% | $4.99 |
| Total War: Rome II Emperor Edition | 75% | $14.98 |
Flash Deals (End Friday, December 19 at 12:59 ET)
| Title | Discount | Cost |
| Damned | 75% | $4.99 |
| Hegemony Rome: The Rise of Caesar | 85% | $4.49 |
| Injustice: Gods Among Us | 75% | $4.99 |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition | 80% | $4.99 |
| Speedrunners | 75% | $2.49 |
| Styx Master of Shadows | 50% | $14.99 |
Is the Steam Holiday Sale tempting your wallet? Sound off in the comments below.
[Images via Steam]
