Steam is running a sale for the Chinese New Year. We have exciting game recommendations for you, which are particularly cheap
On 22 January 2023, a new year begins, namely the Chinese Lunar Year of the Water Rabbit, which according to tradition is supposed to be a positive year full of hope. That sounds great already! Steam is celebrating the occasion with a medium-sized sale in which several major publishers are also taking part. In contrast to the Winter Sale, this time mainly insider tips and lesser-known games are reduced, including many from Chinese developer studios, of course.
We have collected a few unusual recommendations for you that are particularly cheap right now. Whether you”re in the mood for a hundred hours of role-playing games or short, gripping stories, there”s bound to be something for you here!
Table of Contents
The Flame in the Flood
(Genre: Survival / Adventure = Developer: Molasses Flood = Release: 24. February 2016 = Price and discount: 4,50 Euro (70 percent off until 27 January))
The Flame in the Flood sends you on a melancholic and dangerous journey through the post-apocalyptic world: You sail along a river on a raft, moor up on the shore again and again, collect resources, meet NPCs and then move on. Along for the ride: a faithful dog. That alone makes the game great!
All joking aside, this survival adventure does have its edges. For example, you have to fumble your way through the inventory with a lot of effort, and the mouse controls are hard to use in places. It”s best to plug in a controller if you don”t want to keep crashing into rocks. But there are two reasons why I recommend the game to you: It has a really great atmosphere, just right to come down in the evening and forget the world for two hours. The soundtrack is also perfect for relaxing Spotify playlists.
And it comes from Molasses Flood, who are currently working on an official Witcher game. It probably won”t feature Geralt on a raft trip (which is a shame), but you can still get to know the studio”s handwriting here.
Dust: An Elysian Tail
(Genre: Metroidvania/Platformer = Developer: Humble Hearts = Release: 24. May 2013 = Price and discount: 3.50 Euro (75 percent off until January 31))
For the price of a cup of coffee, you can get Dust: An Elysian Tail in this sale, a fabulous Metroidvania RPG that remains mercilessly underrated to this day and still looks pretty ten years after release thanks to its hand-drawn graphics. In the role of the animal warrior Dust, you explore a fairytale-like 2D environment from snowy mountain peaks to dense forests and gloomy caves, where you solve main quests and side tasks.
In the process, you earn experience points and crafting material, which you can use to increase your repertoire of sword attacks, improve your attributes or make new clothes. The fast-paced combat system is easy to learn, but needs a little practice before you can routinely slam multi-hit combos into the bosses. The highlight of Dust, however, is definitely its lively and non-linear world full of mythical creatures, where you”ll find little surprises, big secrets and funny dialogue everywhere.
I guarantee it won”t take long for you to grow fond of the inhabitants of this world and lose yourself in the story surrounding Dust”s dark past and the talking Kinge Ahrah. So be sure to give this forgotten indie gem a chance!
Last Day of June
(Genre: Adventure = Developer: Ovosonico = Release: August 31, 2017= Price and Discount: 4,99 Euro (75 percent reduced until January 27))
There are games that I will never forget. Last Day of June is one of them. The beautiful game tells a heartbreaking story about grief and loss – and sacrifice. Carl and June were actually going to enjoy a nice date at their favourite place, but a terrible car accident shatters all dreams of a happy future together. June dies.
I now accompany the grieving Carl, who leads me through the fateful day again and again. Only one thing helps him get through his grief: The hope that he can change little things in the past to trick fate and save his great love from death. But every attempt seems doomed to failure …
Last Day of June swept me away with its lovely visuals and emotional music. The story and the associated gameplay broke my heart into thousands of pieces – and left such a big impression on me that I even told Micha and Holger about it at my job interview for GlobalESportNews If you have about four hours, 5 euros and 20 packs of tissues to spare, I can only recommend this moving story to you!
Luna – The Shadow Dust
(Genre: Adventure = Developer: Lantern Studio = Release: February 13, 2020 = Price and discount: 13,99 Euro (30 percent off until January 28))
“Show, don”t tell” is probably one of the most well-known rules of storytelling. Luna: The Shadow Dust has followed this rule to the letter. Not a word is said in this hand-drawn adventure: there is no dialogue, no off-screen voices, you will not encounter a single word in Luna.
But that doesn”t make the tricky adventure by any means boring – the story and the puzzles are just a little cryptic and not immediately obvious. Over time, however, a picture forms more and more around the boy Üri and his task of climbing the mysterious tower. And on top of that, there is this beautiful, hand-drawn graphic style! Personally, my heart swells when I see this.
Persona 5 Royal
(Genre: JRPG = Developer: ATLUS = Release: October 21, 2022 (PC) = Price and Discount: 42 Euro (30 percent off until January 30))
Before you scroll back into the comments and write “JRPG/anime visuals just don”t pick me up”, give me one sentence to convince you that Persona 5 is worth your attention after all: Persona 5 is one of the best RPGs you can play. I know: steep thesis. But it”s not for nothing that the JRPG has a score of 95 on Metacritic and 97 percent positive reviews on Steam.
Persona 5, especially in its Royal Edition, is an absolute delight of role-playing art. Not only does the turn-based battle system present you with strategic decisions to make with your Personas, but even during the school day you”re constantly having to consider which answer option and move makes the most sense now. These decisions are framed by a dramatic story that does not stop at difficult topics and plays with the fears and hopes of a wide variety of people.
But it is not only the overarching story that will keep you glued to the screen for hours, but also the individual fates of your fellow combatants will at some point not let you go and draw you deeper and deeper into this absolutely fascinating game world.
Anyone who says “Hey Mary, that sounds interesting. But 42 bucks is just too much for me”, you can also take a detour into the Xbox Game Pass. There you can also find the predecessors Persona 3 and 4, but don”t worry, you don”t have to have played them to get straight into Part 5 (even though I love them just as much as the latest part).
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster
In this country, hardly anyone knows Shin Megami Tensei, but let me assure you: there are RPG fans to whom this series means the world! Shin Megami Tensei works so differently from Western role-playing games, weaving mythologies, demons, the real world into such a bizarre fabric that story fans absolutely have to give some part of the series a chance. Shin Megami Tensei 5 has been available on the Switch for a while now, while the PC is getting the remaster of Shin Megami Tensei 3, one of the highlights of the series. And by the way, you can play part three completely independently – you don”t need any previous knowledge.
Just be warned: Unlike its sister series Persona, Shin Megami Tensei 3 is an incredibly difficult role-playing game. If you don”t get to grips with the battle system and know the advantages and disadvantages of all the demons, spells and attacks, then you”re in for a real treat. But if you do take the plunge, you”re in for a role-playing experience you won”t forget.
