Yikes, the Summer Sale jumped up and surprised me this year! Let's take a look at the last half-year's worth of good $5 games, and I'll tell you my favorites. Put em on your wishlist! Pick em up cheap! Play, play, play!
Like a Broken Record
Every sale, I remind you guys of the same things. These Steam sale tricks are just that important.
Honorable Mention: You Must Build A Boat
Technically YMBAB is always around the $5 mark on Steam, and it's a great value at that price. However, I have to suggest that you grab it for your phone or tablet rather than on Steam if you can. It's just so much fun on the go, and a couple of bucks cheaper to boot. Thus, it didn't make the Steam Summer Sale countdown.
Number 5: The Weaponographist
Featured in: April 2015 (Review)
Why it got the nod: The Weaponographist is a fun and frantic top-down action RPG style game with a lot of other elements thrown on top. It's unique in a lot of ways, from the weird and wacky enemies to the limited-use and crazy weaponry. Post-launch, Puuba has dumped some additional modes and features on the game, making it even more worth the less-than-$10-on-sale it is right now.
Get it: Amazon w/Steam DRM | Steam | Humble
Number 4: Vertical Drop Heroes HD
Featured in: April 2015 (Cot5)
Why it got the nod: Vertical Drop Heroes HD rips a few pages out of the Rogue Legacy playbook, and does a great job of mixing roguelike and action RPG elements just like Rogue Legacy did. While that sentence may make it sound like the previous nominee, they're two totally different experiences. Vertical Drop Heroes HD is a game that's easy to pick up and play for a few minutes, but addicting enough that you won't want to stop!
Get it: Amazon w/No DRM | Steam | Humble
Number 3: Ironcast
Featured in: March 2015 (Review)
Why it got the nod: If you took my advice earlier and bought You Must Build A Boat, you'll find that the "match-3 puzzle" genre isn't just for grandmas on Facebook. Ironcast takes match-3 of a slightly different flavor, and adds elements of Victorian-era steampunk mech combat on top of it. Despite the accessibility of its core mechanic, it can be punishingly difficult. If you enjoy FTL and You Must Build A Boat, this one is an easy recommendation.
Get it: Steam
Number 2: The Stanley Parable
Featured in: February 2015 (Cot5)
Why it got the nod: By far my favorite of the narrative walking simulators, The Stanley Parable is a master class in the way players interact with game narratives. This isn't a long game by any stretch of the imagination, but it's got so many twists and turns that you'll find yourself playing and replaying to see everything and hear everything the game has to offer.
Get it: Steam
Number 1: Transistor
Featured in: February 2015 (Cot5)
Why it got the nod: Let's face it - any list that could feature Transistor should feature Transistor. Supergiant Games is on a winning streak here, and Transistor is one of those games that we'll discuss and dissect for years. Everything here - from the visuals, to the music, to the gameplay and plot - is the highest possible quality, balanced out in just the right measures.
Get it: Steam