10 Great Games Under $10 In The Steam Winter Sale

Now that Christmas is behind us, there are a lot of PC gamers out there sitting on a pile of Steam gift cards. While we imagine many of those gamers burned through those cards the second their codes were redeemed, there are probably just as many who are taking their time in determining how to best stretch their funds. If that's you, then this list of 10 games that are less than $10 in the Steam Winter Sale will help you get a lot of mileage out of those gift cards.

Terraria is a game that's destined to be on every list I write like this because it's just that good. If you like survival games and would enjoy brick-by-brick base building, you can't go wrong with Terraria. With numerous updates that have doubled the content in the game multiple times over throughout the years, Terraria offers an insane amount of value in return for its $4.99 asking price during the sale. It's my most-played game on Steam by a long shot, and with a new content update scheduled to land at some point next year, that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Banished is one of those games that isn't talked about much these days, despite the fact that it got a lot of attention when it released in 2014. In this strategy city builder, you'll attempt to lead a group of outcasts to prosperity, growing your city and its population along the way and (hopefully) avoiding devastation by way of natural disasters. A delightful-yet-challenging game, Banished is one that shouldn't be overlooked by fans of city building titles.

I'm a very new Pummel Party adherent, having picked it up in the 2019 Winter Sale myself. From the first match I played, it was very obvious to me that this is a fantastic game, especially if you have a bunch of friends to play it with. Perhaps best described as "Mario Party with murder and blood," Pummel Party supports as many as eight players and just barely makes the list with a price tag of $9.89 during the Steam Winter Sale.

If you're looking to get a lot of playtime out of whatever you buy, look no further than Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. Dragon's Dogma is one of the more unique RPGs I've ever played, which maybe shouldn't be surprising since it was made by Capcom. With a big world to explore, multiple classes to play and improve, and a combat system that's endlessly enjoyable, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is definitely worth checking out for those who love dragon slaying.

I don't often get into Metroidvania titles, but Ori and the Blind Forest grabbed me in a way that few others have. For starters, it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played and it has a fantastic soundtrack to boot. Moreover, the platforming is tight and the action sequences are difficult while not being insurmountable, which results in a game that's as fun to play as it is to look at. Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the few games I was driven to 100% complete, and as a result, I recommend it to everyone who will listen.

There's certainly no lack of tower defense games for PC; I know because I've played most of them. While I love games like Kingdom Rush, Defense Grid, and Sanctum, GemCraft is easily my favorite out of all of them. The series started life as a collection of Flash games in the late-2000s, but in the years since then, we've seen it migrate to mobile devices and Steam. At $4.99, Chasing Shadows is an easy recommendation for tower defense fans, and it'll get you primed and ready for the release of GemCraft: Frostborn Wrath on January 10th.

Like Terraria, this is another game that will be on almost every list like this. Stardew Valley's immense popularity is not with merit though, as it's definitely one of the best indie games of the decade. You wouldn't necessarily expect that kind of praise for a game that puts you in the role of farmer, but the fact that Stardew Valley is dripping in both charm and replayability means that this has become an bit hit among the PC gaming masses.

Jurassic World: Evolution may not have received as much acclaim as some of the other games on this list, and even though I was underwhelmed by some aspects at release, I have to say that after returning to the game in recent months, I've been enjoying myself a lot. If you're anything like me and you loved dinosaurs when you were a kid, then seeing them come to life in Jurassic World: Evolution is well worth the $8.99 asking price, even if the game's mechanics are a little shallow in comparison to other theme park sims.

On the surface, One Finger Death Punch seems like a very casual action game as the controls only consist of the left and right mouse buttons. Spend five minutes with this game, however, and it becomes clear that One Finger Death Punch takes a lot of skill and patience to excel at. I haven't played One Finger Death Punch 2 (which released earlier this year) yet, so I can't comment on the quality of that game, but at a mere $0.99, I can say that the original is well worth buying for anyone who wants an instantly addicting action game.

Sonic Mania, simply put, is the best Sonic the Hedgehog game in decades. It was one of my favorite games of 2017 and I still return to frequently. Whether you're a Sonic fan or a fan of 2D platformers in general, Sonic Mania's $6.79 price tag makes this a must buy. You can pick up the Encore DLC – which adds Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel as playable characters – for $2.49 and still come in under $10 as well, which makes the whole deal even sweeter.

Obviously, there are a ton of great games that are going for less than $10 in the Steam Winter Sale – Valve even lets you sort by games under $10 from the Steam homepage, which produces a list that's many multiple pages long. If you're looking to stretch your money, you have a ton of ways to do that in the Winter Sale.

Therefore, this isn't meant to be some kind of exhaustive list that only includes the best of the best, but rather a list of games that I've played and enjoyed extensively throughout the years. I think that each game listed here is well worth its asking price in the Steam Winter Sale and that they're all worthy of a spot in your library.

We all have our favorites though, so head down to the comments section and tell us your picks for great games that are $10 or less in the Steam Winter Sale. It is worth pointing out that if you're sitting on some Steam Bucks, you're running out of time to spend them. The Steam Winter Sale wraps up on Thursday, January 2nd at 10 AM PT, so make your purchases before then if you want to avoid paying full price.