Humans have gazed up at the sky and wondered about their place in the cosmos since the very beginning. Do the same in a game like, say, Breath of the Wild, and you're presented with vivid images of clouds, stars, the sun and the moon. It's an important part of this and many other games that helps to create an illusion of a continuous space that stretches beyond what we actually experience within the confines of the game. The sky implies that Hyrule, despite being a fantasy world, is a part of a cosmos very much like our own, and we accept this even though we cannot fly up and check.
Since it matches our own experience of the sky so closely, we won't spend a lot of time thinking about how the universe around Hyrule is structured. There are quite a few games, however, in which the cosmos moves from the margins to the centre. These games take a close look at, for example, how their worlds were created or might end, the rules by which they operate, or simply how the experiences of the player fit into a larger world view. In other words, they create and explore cosmologies.
Cosmology, the attempt to describe the nature of the universe, didn't start with the advent of modern astronomy, but was present throughout all of human history. Always, real observations about the world were seen and interpreted through lenses of ideology and assumptions about how the world works (even our 'objective' study of the cosmos cannot help but be coloured by our very human perspectives).
Reminding us all that the term ‘indie’ is meaningless, Take-Two Interactive–the multi-billion-dollar owners of GTA devs Rockstar Games, Civ and XCOM studio Firaxis, and 2K–have launched an indie publishing label. It’s named Private Division and that combined with the logo makes me think: Twin Peaks-themed porn site. But they have gathered a fair number of big names for their initial lineup, including Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from the new studio of Assassin’s Creed creative director Patrice D silet, a yet-unannounced RPG from Tim Cain and his Fallout cohorts at Obsidian Entertainment, games from fellas who worked on Battlefields and Halos, and Kerbal Space Program (which Take-Two now own). Hey, if leads to good games getting made, wank yourselves wild with your indie fantasies. (more…)
Between Steam's daily and weekly deals, not to mention a few well-timed individual sales, a lot of indie games are cheap right now. The sales aren't bundled together and therefore will end at different times, but they're all good deals on good games. Here's a rundown, sorted by when they end:
Friday, December 15
Ruiner - $13 at 33 percent off (same price on GOG)
Saturday, December 16
Kerbal Space Program - $20 at 50 percent off
Tacoma - $10 at 50 percent off
Monday, December 18
Ultimate Chicken Horse - $9 at 40 percent off
Battle Chasers: Nightwar - $20 at 33 percent off
Wednesday, December 20
To the Moon - $4 at 60 percent off
Thursday, December 21
Gorogoa - $12 at 20 percent off (same price on GOG)
Gorogoa is celebrating its launch week, by the way. Our review went up earlier today (spoilers: Philippa was quite taken with it). It's worth noting that the Steam winter sale also starts on Thursday, December 21, so more and likely steeper discounts are sure to follow.
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Black Friday is over, but that just means it's time for Cyber Monday. Tons of sales on digital PC games are still going on, including the big Steam sale, and we'll be updating this page with the best deals we can find. Some of the fall's biggest games, just a few months old, are already nearly half price.
Now is a great time to save on PC hardware, too. Find the best hardware deals in our Cyber Monday deals list, where you'll find discounted GPUs, monitors, RAM, SSDs, cases, keyboards, mice, headsets and everything else you need for the perfect setup.
Nier: Automata is $36/£24 on Steam (save 40%). It's one of our favorite RPGs of the year, and it's weird in all the right ways (there are a lot of sad robots).
Tacoma is $11.99/£8.99 on GOG (save 40%) and Steam. It's the somewhat overlooked sci-fi game from the creators of Gone Home that we liked a lot.
Resident Evil 7 is $30/£20 on GMG (save $30/£20) and is similarly discounted on the Humble Store and Steam. That's, like, 1.4 scares per buck.
The Evil Within 2 is $30 on Amazon (save $30) and £16.99 on Amazon UK.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is $15 on Steam (save $15).
Assassin's Creed Origins is $49.79 on the Ubisoft Store (save $10.20). On the UK store it's £41.49. You can get the same deal on Amazon, too.
Tekken 7 is $25/£20 on the Humble Store (save $25), and is similarly discounted on Fanatical and Steam.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is $40.49 on GOG. It's only $4.50 off, but it's one of our favorite games of the year, and favorite RPGs of all time, so it deserves a shout.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is $40.19 on Steam (save $19.80).
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on GMG (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is £26 (save 53%) at GamesPlanet.com, which we called "the definitive PES on PC" in our review.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is $23 on Newegg ($7 off) if you use the promo code EMCBBCE32 at checkout. [Expired]
Prey is only $20/£12.99 on Amazon, and while it's a boxed copy, at 67% off this might be its lowest price since release. It's a very good game, too. [Expired]
Pillars of Eternity is $12/£9.19 on the Humble Store (60% off). That's a lot of old school isometric adventuring for that money.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.39/£16.99 on Steam (66% off). OK, that's a few cents over 20 bucks, though in the UK you can shave some off the price by buying from GMG for £15.30.
Dirt Rally is $11.99/£7.99 on Steam (80% off), which is a great discount on a respectable Rally game that, coincidentally, we gave a score of 80 at review.
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is $15/£11.50 on Amazon (save $15), which gets you a Steam key. It only came out around six months ago, so it's a quick discount and comes just before a big update. On Amazon UK it's £11.50 (save £7.49).
Overwatch is $19.99 on Battle.net (50% off). In the UK it's £17 (save £13).
Titanfall 2 is $10/£12.49 on Origin (50% off), which is a great price for a great shooter, especially if you like a good singleplayer campaign.
Cities: Skylines is $7.49/£5.74 on Steam (save 75%), which an absolute steal for the best city-building sim on the market right now.
Tyranny is $17.99/£13.99 on Steam (save 60%) and Fanatical, if you want a deep cRPG that lets you be the bad guy.
Stellaris is $16/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical. A good discount on a beautiful, absorbing 4X.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is $12 on Amazon. That's cheap!
Planet Coaster is $18/£13.49 on the Humble Store (save $18/£13.49). It's one of the best theme park sims around, and adorable with it.
Ruiner is $13.39/£10.04 on Steam (save 33%) and is one of our favorite recent games.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Fallout 4 is $14.99/£10.00 on Steam (save 50%). The rest of the Fallout franchise is also on sale: Fallout 3 is 50% off, and both the original Fallout and Fallout 2 are 75% off.
Shadowrun Complete Collection is $9.55 on Steam (save 86%).
Rocket League is $9.99/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming and Steam (save 50%)
The Sexy Brutale is $9/£6.74 on Fanatical (save $11/£8.25), a good price for a clever adventure game (we gave it an 82%).
Dead Space is $5/£3.79 on GOG (save $15/£12.20).
Dragon Age: Inquisition is $5/£4.49 on Origin (save $15/about £12), and at that price it's definitely worth a go—it was one of our favorite games of 2014.
Age of Empires II HD Edition is $4.99/£3.74 on Steam (75% off). Ah, nostalgia.
This War of Mine is $4/£3 on GMG (80% off). Play as a civilian struggling to survive in a warzone.
Oxenfree is just $5/£2.99 on GOG (80% off) it's a moody adventure game about a bunch of ghost-hunting friends.
Divine Divinity is $0.60 on GOG (90% off) if you've found the time to finish Divinity: Original Sin 2 and want to go back to where the series started.
Wuppo is $3.80 on GOG (75% off), which is a decent price for a hidden gem.
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign is $3/£2.32 on the Humble Store (save $17/£12.67 off its price on Steam). It's one of our all time favorite war strategy games.
System Shock Pack is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $16/£12), and includes System Shock Enhanced Edition and System Shock 2.
Psychonauts is $1/£0.69 on the Humble Store (save $9/£7.19). Nice.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is $2/£1.69 on the Humble Store (save $8/£6.40) and we consider it one of the all time best PC metroidvanias. So, not a bad deal.
Insurgency is $1.00 on Fanatical (save 90%). It's a multiplayer shooter that we rather liked.
Dustforce DX is $2.25/£1.57 on Green Man Gaming ($7.74/£5.42).
Theme Hospital is $1.49/£1.19 on GOG (save $4.50/£3.40).
Lords of the Fallen is $4.79/£3.83 on the Humble Store (save about $25/£20).
This War of Mine is $4/£3 on GOG (save $16/£12) and includes the soundtrack.
Necropolis: Brutal Edition is $4.49/£3.44 on the Humble Store (save $25.50/£19.55). It isn't the best dungeon crawler out there, but it's fun with a friend.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 is free on the Microsoft store, though note there are bonus episodes you'll need to pay for if these five free ones aren't enough.
Sanctum 2 is also free over at the Humble Store, though only for a limited time.
Amazon doesn't have many game deals yet, but we expect more to pop up throughout the week. Many of Amazon's PC game sales get you a Steam key, but we'll mention if the deal is for a physical edition or a download from Amazon.
Killing Floor 2 is $15 on Amazon (save $15).
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is $12 on Amazon.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on Steam and Amazon (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
If you spend at least $15 USD during GOG's Black Friday sale you'll get StarCrawlers free.
Tacoma is $11.99/£8.99 on GOG (save 40%). It's the somewhat overlooked sci-fi game from the creators of Gone Home that we liked a lot.
Oxenfree is just $5/£2.99 on GOG (80% off) it's a moody adventure game about a bunch of ghost-hunting friends.
Dead Space is $5/£3.79 on GOG (save $15/£12.20).
Kerbal Space Program is $23.99/£18 on GOG (save $16/£12) and is one of the best games of all time by our measure.
Owlboy is $18.69/£14.19 on GOG (save $6.30/£4.80).
The Heroes of Might and Magic bundle is down to just $8.95/£7.05 for five games, if you buy them all.
The Ultima bundle is $8.94/£7.14 on GOG, and includes Ultima 1-9 as well as Ultima Underworld 1 and 2. That's a lot of Ultima for less than $10.
The Tomb Raider bundle is $5.97/£4.77 on GOG (save $24) and includes Tomb Raider 1-3, The Angel of Darkness, The Last Revelation and Chronicles.
The Wing Commander bundle is $10.43/£8.33 on GOG (save $31.50/£23.80) and includes Wing Commander 1-5, Academy, Armada, and Privateer.
Humble is running its Fall Sale, and all purchases get you a Steam key for the game. The sale is huge, and there's a lot in the mix, so we've sifted through it to pick out some favorites:
Pillars of Eternity is £9.19 on the Humble Store (60% off). That's a lot of old school isometric adventuring for that money.
Fallout 4 is $15 on the Humble Store (save $15).
Civilization VI is $30 on the Humble Store (save $30).
Call of Duty: WWII Digital Deluxe Edition is $90 on the Humble Store, for a saving of $10. It's not much but we guess you could use that $10 to buy one of the games below.
Planet Coaster is $18/£13.49 on the Humble Store (save $18/£13.49). It's one of the best theme park sims around, and adorable with it.
Tekken 7 is $24.99/£19.99 on the Humble Store (half price). We called it "a smart, blisteringly fun" beat 'em in our review, and frankly it's worth buying to smash up the roster as a martial arts panda.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is $6.79 on the Humble Store (save $13.20)
Valkyria Chronicles is $5/£3.74 on the Humble Store (save $15/£11.25). [Expired]
Lichdom: Battlemage is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $36/£26).
Green Man is having a Black Friday blowout as usual, though you won't be able to see all of the discounts unless you register and sign in. Where it often diverges from competitors is with small (15% or so) discounts on popular or brand new games, and there are already a few available:
XCOM 2 is $19.80/£11.55 on Green Man Gaming (save 67%).
No Man's Sky is $24/£16 on Green Man Gaming (save 60%).
Prey is $20 on Green Man Gaming (half off).
Assassin's Creed Origins is $51/£41.49 on Green Man Gaming (save $9/£8.50). The Official Ubisoft Store slightly beats this at $40.19. UK store has it for £41.49.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $30/£20 on Green Man Gaming (save 50%).
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is $51 on Green Man Gaming (save $9), though the Official Ubisoft Store beats it with $45. UK edition is £37.50.
Rocket League is $9.99/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming and Steam (save 50%) and if you ask Tyler, it's the best game.
Absolver is $20.09/£16.74 on Steam (33% off)
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is $50/£43 on Green Man Gaming (save $10/£12). It isn't a huge discount, but it's a brand new game, so you may as well save the $10 if you wanted it. [Out of stock]
Fanatical (formerly Bundle Stars) gives you Steam keys when you buy, and right now they're offering an extra 10% off on some games when you use the code BLACKFRIDAY10. Here are a few highlights from the sale so far:
Mad Max is $5 on Fanatical (save $15). It's surprisingly good!
The Metro Redux Bundle is $6/£4 on Fanatical (save $24/£12), the same as Humble's deal.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 is $18.74/£14.24 on Fanatical (save $6.25/£4.75), a small discount on this collection of absurd games to play with friends live or over a stream.
Dead Cells is $12.74/£10.50 on Fanatical (save $4.25/£3.50).
Overcooked is $8.49/£6.50 on Fanatical (save $8.50/£6.50); a great couch co-op game.
Tabletop Simulator is $10/£7.49 on Fanatical (save $10/£7.50).
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is live and will run from November 22 to November 28. Here are the best deals on the PC's biggest games marketplace.
Batman: Arkham Knight is $6.79 / £5.43 on Steam (66% off). It had port problems at launch which still aren't entirely fixed but. If your rig runs it well, it's a decent and very pretty Batman game that's worth a try at this price.
Dishonored 2 is $19.99/£14.99 on Steam (half price). A decent price for one of the best games released last year.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is $8.99/£5.99 on Steam (85% off) and GMG. Worth it just to wander around Adam Jensen's futuristic apartment.
Dirt Rally is $11.99/£7.99 on Steam (80% off), which is a great discount on a respectable Rally game that, coincidentally, we gave a score of 80 at review.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.39/£16.99 on Steam (66% off). In the UK you can shave some off the price by buying from GMG for £15.30.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is $40.19 on Steam (save 33%).
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on Steam and Amazon (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is $15 on Steam (save $15).
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is just $7.49 on Steam (half off).
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is $10 on Steam (save $10).
Prey is $20/£15 on Steam (half off).
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $30/£20 on Steam (save 50%).
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is $35.99/£27.00 on Steam (save 40%).
Dark Souls 3 is $23.99/£16.00 on Steam (save 60%).
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.49 on Steam (save $20/£22), and its DLC is discounted, too.
Endless Space 2 is $20/£17.49 on Steam (save $20/£17.49) and just got a big update.
SteamWorld Heist is $4.94/£3.62 on Steam (save about $10/£6), and SteamWorld Dig 2 is $15/£11.42 on Steam (save $5/£3.75).
This War of Mine is 80% off on Steam, coming to just $4/£3. You can find the same deal on GOG.
EA ran a Black Friday sale on Origin last year and it's at it again, with some decent discounts on its 2016 lineup, and even some markdowns on 2017 games. Here's the best of what's on offer now:
FIFA 18 is $36/£36.66 on Origin (save $24/33%) and is a definite improvement on previous PC FIFA releases.
Need for Speed Payback is $40/£36.66 on Origin (save $20/about £19), though it's worth noting we didn't exactly care for it.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is $20/£17.49 on Origin (save $20/17.50), and the Deluxe Edition is $25/£22.49 on Origin (save $25/£22.49). Despite all our issues with Andromeda, you're getting a lot of open-world space adventuring for your dollar at those prices. Unless you really want the soundtrack, though, we don't recommend the Deluxe Edition which mostly includes special armor and extra multiplayer items. There won't be any singleplayer DLC.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is $5/£4.49 on Origin (save $15/about £12), and at that price it's definitely worth a go—it was one of our favorite games of 2014.
Ubisoft has some light deals on PC downloads, including for some brand new games. Just make sure you're looking at the PC download edition, as the console discounts are different.
The Division is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 in the UK.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.40 on the Ubisoft Store (save $39.59). It's £17 in the UK.
Far Cry Primal is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 for UK buyers.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $20). For UK readers, it's £17.50.
Blizzard brings us discounts of up to 50% off on three of Battle.net's biggest games: Destiny 2, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft.
Paradox has knocked a lot of money off the best titles in its catalogue, including Cities: Skylines and Tyranny. If you already have these games be sure to check out the smaller but still significant discounts on expansion packs.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Paradox Plaza (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.50 on Paradox Plaza (75% off), it's still one of the best story generators ever.
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Bookmark this page for the best PC game deals: We'll be posting all the best bargains here as they roll out on Black Friday and throughout the next week, and adding more retailers soon.
Throughout Black Friday weekend and beyond we'll be scouring the web for the cheapest PC games and discounted software from Steam, GOG, Humble, Amazon, and more, with an eye for new games being discounted for the first time and big limited-time sales where you can snag our favorite games for pocket change. Come back to this page throughout the week, because you never know when a big discount will drop—we'll put the best stuff at the top.
The holidays are a great time to save money on PC hardware, and we're collecting the best deals on graphics cards, CPUs and much more in our best Black Friday PC gaming deals hub—but what good is new hardware without discounted games to play?
Tacoma is $11.99/£8.99 on GOG (save 40%) and Steam. It's the somewhat overlooked sci-fi game from the creators of Gone Home that we liked a lot.
Resident Evil 7 is $30/£20 on GMG (save $30/£20) and is similarly discounted on the Humble Store and Steam. That's, like, 1.4 scares per buck.
The Evil Within 2 is $24.99 on Amazon (save $35) and £16.99 on Amazon UK.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is $15 on Steam (save $15).
Assassin's Creed Origins is $49.79 on the Ubisoft Store (save $10.20). On the UK store it's £41.49. You can get the same deal on Amazon, too.
Tekken 7 is $25/£20 on the Humble Store (save $25), and is similarly discounted on Fanatical and Steam.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is $40.49 on GOG. It's only $4.50 off, but it's one of our favorite games of the year, and favorite RPGs of all time, so it deserves a shout.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is $40.19 on Steam (save $19.80).
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on GMG (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is £26 (save 53%) at GamesPlanet.com, which we called "the definitive PES on PC" in our review.
Pillars of Eternity is $12/£9.19 on the Humble Store (60% off). That's a lot of old school isometric adventuring for that money.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.39/£16.99 on Steam (66% off). OK, that's a few cents over 20 bucks, though in the UK you can shave some off the price by buying from GMG for £15.30.
Dirt Rally is $11.99/£7.99 on Steam (80% off), which is a great discount on a respectable Rally game that, coincidentally, we gave a score of 80 at review.
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is $15/£11.50 on Amazon (save $15), which gets you a Steam key. It only came out around six months ago, so it's a quick discount and comes just before a big update. On Amazon UK it's £11.50 (save £7.49).
Overwatch is $19.99 on Battle.net (50% off). In the UK it's £17 (save £13).
Titanfall 2 is $10/£12.49 on Origin (50% off), which is a great price for a great shooter, especially if you like a good singleplayer campaign.
Cities: Skylines is $7.49/£5.74 on Steam (save 75%), which an absolute steal for the best city-building sim on the market right now.
Tyranny is $17.99/£13.99 on Steam (save 60%) and Fanatical, if you want a deep cRPG that lets you be the bad guy.
Stellaris is $16/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical. A good discount on a beautiful, absorbing 4X.
Planet Coaster is $18/£13.49 on the Humble Store (save $18/£13.49). It's one of the best theme park sims around, and adorable with it.
Ruiner is $13.39/£10.04 on Steam (save 33%) and is one of our favorite recent games.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Fallout 4 is $14.99/£10.00 on Steam (save 50%). The rest of the Fallout franchise is also on sale: Fallout 3 is 50% off, and both the original Fallout and Fallout 2 are 75% off.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is $20 on Amazon. It's been that cheap on Steam before, but if you've been meaning to pick it up now's the time. [Expired]
Shadowrun Complete Collection is $9.55 on Steam (save 86%).
Rocket League is $9.99/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming and Steam (save 50%)
The Sexy Brutale is $9/£6.74 on Fanatical (save $11/£8.25), a good price for a clever adventure game (we gave it an 82%).
Dead Space is $5/£3.79 on GOG (save $15/£12.20).
Dragon Age: Inquisition is $5/£4.49 on Origin (save $15/about £12), and at that price it's definitely worth a go—it was one of our favorite games of 2014.
Age of Empires II HD Edition is $4.99/£3.74 on Steam (75% off). Ah, nostalgia.
This War of Mine is $4/£3 on GMG (80% off). Play as a civilian struggling to survive in a warzone.
Oxenfree is just $5/£2.99 on GOG (80% off) it's a moody adventure game about a bunch of ghost-hunting friends.
Divine Divinity is $0.60 on GOG (90% off) if you've found the time to finish Divinity: Original Sin 2 and want to go back to where the series started.
Wuppo is $3.80 on GOG (75% off), which is a decent price for a hidden gem.
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign is $3/£2.32 on the Humble Store (save $17/£12.67 off its price on Steam). It's one of our all time favorite war strategy games.
System Shock Pack is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $16/£12), and includes System Shock Enhanced Edition and System Shock 2.
Psychonauts is $1/£0.69 on the Humble Store (save $9/£7.19). Nice.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is $2/£1.69 on the Humble Store (save $8/£6.40) and we consider it one of the all time best PC metroidvanias. So, not a bad deal.
Insurgency is $1.00 on Fanatical (save 90%). It's a multiplayer shooter that we rather liked.
Theme Hospital is $1.49/£1.19 on GOG (save $4.50/£3.40).
Lords of the Fallen is $4.79/£3.83 on the Humble Store (save about $25/£20).
This War of Mine is $4/£3 on GOG (save $16/£12) and includes the soundtrack.
Necropolis: Brutal Edition is $4.49/£3.44 on the Humble Store (save $25.50/£19.55). It isn't the best dungeon crawler out there, but it's fun with a friend.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 is free on the Microsoft store, though note there are bonus episodes you'll need to pay for if these five free ones aren't enough.
Sanctum 2 is also free over at the Humble Store, though only for a limited time. [Expired]
Dustforce DX is $2.25/£1.57 on Green Man Gaming ($7.74/£5.42). [Expired]
Amazon doesn't have many game deals yet, but we expect more to pop up throughout the week. Many of Amazon's PC game sales get you a Steam key, but we'll mention if the deal is for a physical edition or a download from Amazon.
Killing Floor 2 is $15 on Amazon (save $15).
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is $20 on Amazon (save $20). [Expired]
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on Steam and Amazon (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
Prey is only $20 on Amazon, and while it's a boxed copy, that might be its lowest price since release. [Expired]
If you spend at least $15 USD during GOG's Black Friday sale you'll get StarCrawlers free.
Tacoma is $11.99/£8.99 on GOG (save 40%). It's the somewhat overlooked sci-fi game from the creators of Gone Home that we liked a lot.
Oxenfree is just $5/£2.99 on GOG (80% off) it's a moody adventure game about a bunch of ghost-hunting friends.
Dead Space is $5/£3.79 on GOG (save $15/£12.20).
Kerbal Space Program is $23.99/£18 on GOG (save $16/£12) and is one of the best games of all time by our measure.
Owlboy is $18.69/£14.19 on GOG (save $6.30/£4.80).
The Heroes of Might and Magic bundle is down to just $8.95/£7.05 for five games, if you buy them all.
The Ultima bundle is $8.94/£7.14 on GOG, and includes Ultima 1-9 as well as Ultima Underworld 1 and 2. That's a lot of Ultima for less than $10.
The Tomb Raider bundle is $5.97/£4.77 on GOG (save $24) and includes Tomb Raider 1-3, The Angel of Darkness, The Last Revelation and Chronicles.
The Wing Commander bundle is $10.43/£8.33 on GOG (save $31.50/£23.80) and includes Wing Commander 1-5, Academy, Armada, and Privateer.
Humble is running its Fall Sale, and all purchases get you a Steam key for the game. For a limited time, Sanctum is discounted by 100%—which is to say that it's free—and a bunch of other games are available at steep discounts. The sale is huge, and there's a lot in the mix, so we've sifted through it to pick out some favorites:
Pillars of Eternity is £9.19 on the Humble Store (60% off). That's a lot of old school isometric adventuring for that money.
Fallout 4 is $15 on the Humble Store (save $15).
Civilization VI is $30 on the Humble Store (save $30).
Call of Duty: WWII Digital Deluxe Edition is $90 on the Humble Store, for a saving of $10. It's not much but we guess you could use that $10 to buy one of the games below.
Planet Coaster is $18/£13.49 on the Humble Store (save $18/£13.49). It's one of the best theme park sims around, and adorable with it.
Tekken 7 is $24.99/£19.99 on the Humble Store (half price). We called it "a smart, blisteringly fun" beat 'em in our review, and frankly it's worth buying to smash up the roster as a martial arts panda.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is $6.79 on the Humble Store (save $13.20)
Valkyria Chronicles is $5/£3.74 on the Humble Store (save $15/£11.25).
Lichdom: Battlemage is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $36/£26).
Green Man is having a Black Friday blowout as usual, though you won't be able to see all of the discounts unless you register and sign in. Where it often diverges from competitors is with small (15% or so) discounts on popular or brand new games, and there are already a few available:
XCOM 2 is $19.80/£11.55 on Green Man Gaming (save 67%).
No Man's Sky is $24/£16 on Green Man Gaming (save 60%).
Prey is $20 on Green Man Gaming (half off).
Assassin's Creed Origins is $51/£41.49 on Green Man Gaming (save $9/£8.50). The Official Ubisoft Store slightly beats this at $40.19. UK store has it for £41.49.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $30/£20 on Green Man Gaming (save 50%).
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is $51 on Green Man Gaming (save $9), though the Official Ubisoft Store beats it with $45. UK edition is £37.50.
Rocket League is $9.99/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming and Steam (save 50%) and if you ask Tyler, it's the best game.
Absolver is $20.09/£16.74 on Steam (33% off)
Fanatical (formerly Bundle Stars) gives you Steam keys when you buy, and right now they're offering an extra 10% off on some games when you use the code BLACKFRIDAY10. Here are a few highlights from the sale so far:
Mad Max is $5 on Fanatical (save $15). It's surprisingly good!
The Metro Redux Bundle is $6/£4 on Fanatical (save $24/£12), the same as Humble's deal.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 is $18.74/£14.24 on Fanatical (save $6.25/£4.75), a small discount on this collection of absurd games to play with friends live or over a stream.
Dead Cells is $12.74/£10.50 on Fanatical (save $4.25/£3.50).
Overcooked is $8.49/£6.50 on Fanatical (save $8.50/£6.50); a great couch co-op game.
Tabletop Simulator is $10/£7.49 on Fanatical (save $10/£7.50).
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is live and will run from November 22 to November 28. Here are the best deals on the PC's biggest games marketplace.
Dishonored 2 is $19.99/£14.99 on Steam (half price). A decent price for one of the best games released last year.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is $8.99/£5.99 on Steam (85% off) and GMG. Worth it just to wander around Adam Jensen's futuristic apartment.
Dirt Rally is $11.99/£7.99 on Steam (80% off), which is a great discount on a respectable Rally game that, coincidentally, we gave a score of 80 at review.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.39/£16.99 on Steam (66% off). In the UK you can shave some off the price by buying from GMG for £15.30.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is $40.19 on Steam (save 33%).
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is $30 on Steam and Amazon (save $10). It's an amazing expansion for a great game.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is $15 on Steam (save $15).
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is just $7.49 on Steam (half off).
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is $10 on Steam (save $10).
Prey is $20/£15 on Steam (half off).
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $30/£20 on Steam (save 50%).
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is $35.99/£27.00 on Steam (save 40%).
Dark Souls 3 is $23.99/£16.00 on Steam (save 60%).
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.49 on Steam (save $20/£22), and its DLC is discounted, too.
Endless Space 2 is $20/£17.49 on Steam (save $20/£17.49) and just got a big update.
SteamWorld Heist is $4.94/£3.62 on Steam (save about $10/£6), and SteamWorld Dig 2 is $15/£11.42 on Steam (save $5/£3.75).
This War of Mine is 80% off on Steam, coming to just $4/£3. You can find the same deal on GOG.
EA ran a Black Friday sale on Origin last year and it's at it again, with some decent discounts on its 2016 lineup, and even some markdowns on 2017 games. Here's the best of what's on offer now:
FIFA 18 is $36/£36.66 on Origin (save $24/33%) and is a definite improvement on previous PC FIFA releases.
Need for Speed Payback is $40/£36.66 on Origin (save $20/about £19), though it's worth noting we didn't exactly care for it.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is $20/£17.49 on Origin (save $20/17.50), and the Deluxe Edition is $25/£22.49 on Origin (save $25/£22.49). Despite all our issues with Andromeda, you're getting a lot of open-world space adventuring for your dollar at those prices. Unless you really want the soundtrack, though, we don't recommend the Deluxe Edition which mostly includes special armor and extra multiplayer items. There won't be any singleplayer DLC.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is $5/£4.49 on Origin (save $15/about £12), and at that price it's definitely worth a go—it was one of our favorite games of 2014.
Ubisoft has some light deals on PC downloads, including for some brand new games. Just make sure you're looking at the PC download edition, as the console discounts are different.
The Division is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 in the UK.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.40 on the Ubisoft Store (save $39.59). It's £17 in the UK.
Far Cry Primal is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 for UK buyers.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $20). For UK readers, it's £17.50.
Blizzard brings us discounts of up to 50% off on three of Battle.net's biggest games: Destiny 2, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft.
Paradox has knocked a lot of money off the best titles in its catalogue, including Cities: Skylines and Tyranny. If you already have these games be sure to check out the smaller but still significant discounts on expansion packs.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Paradox Plaza (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.50 on Paradox Plaza (75% off), it's still one of the best story generators ever.
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Bookmark this page for the best PC game deals: We'll be posting all the best bargains here as they roll out on Black Friday and throughout the next week, and adding more retailers soon.
Throughout Black Friday weekend and beyond we'll be scouring the web for the cheapest PC games and discounted software from Steam, GOG, Humble, Amazon, and more, with an eye for new games being discounted for the first time and big limited-time sales where you can snag our favorite games for pocket change. Come back to this page throughout the week, because you never know when a big discount will drop—we'll put the best stuff at the top.
The holidays are a great time to save money on PC hardware, and we're collecting the best deals on graphics cards, CPUs and much more in our best Black Friday PC gaming deals hub—but what good is new hardware without discounted games to play?
Tekken 7 is $24.99/£19.99 on the Humble Store (half price), and is similarly discounted on Fanatical and Steam.
Tyranny is $17.99/£13.99 on Steam (save 60%) and Fanatical, if you want a deep cRPG that lets you be the bad guy.
Cities: Skylines is $7.49/£5.74 on Steam (save 75%), which an absolute steal for the best city-building sim on the market right now.
Stellaris is $15/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical. A good discount on a beautiful, absorbing 4X.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Steam (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Fallout 4 is $14.99/£10.00 on Steam (save 50%). The rest of the Fallout franchise is also on sale: Fallout 3 is 50% off, and both the original Fallout and Fallout 2 are 75% off.
XCOM 2 is $19.80/£11.55 on Green Man Gaming (save 67%).
Dark Souls 3 is $23.99/£16.00 on Steam (save 60%).
Battlefield 1 is $20/£17.49 on Origin (save $20/£17.50), though we'd recommend the Battlefield 1 Revolution Edition for $30/£27.49 on Origin (save $30/£27.50) as it includes all the DLC.
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is $15 on Amazon (save $15), which gets you a Steam key. It only came out around six months ago, so it's a quick discount and comes just before a big update. On Amazon UK it's £11.50 (save £7.49).
Overwatch is $20 on Battle.net (50% off). In the UK it's £17 (save £13).
Titanfall 2 is $10/£12.49 on Origin (50% off), which is a great price for a great shooter, especially if you like a good singleplayer campaign.
Assassin's Creed Origins is $49.79 on the Ubisoft Store (save $10.20). On the UK store it's £41.49.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $51/£34 on Green Man Gaming (save $9/£6).
No Man's Sky is $24/£16 on Green Man Gaming (save 60%).
Rocket League is $10/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming (save 50%).
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is just $12 on Amazon (save $28). It's been that cheap on Steam before, but if you've been meaning to pick it up now's the time. It's a mere £9 on Amazon UK too (save £21).
Kerbal Space Program is $23.99/£18 on GOG (save $16/£12) and is one of the best games of all time by our measure.
The Metro Redux Bundle is $6/£5 on the Humble Store (save $24/£20) and includes two of our favorite shooters, Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light.
Planet Coaster is $18/£13.49 on the Humble Store (save $18/£13.49). It's one of the best theme park sims around, and adorable with it.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is $2/£1.59 on the Humble Store (save $8/£6.40) and it's a fantastic metroidvania. Well worth a couple bucks.
The Sexy Brutale is $9/£6.74 on Fanatical (save $11/£8.25), a good price for a clever adventure game (we gave it an 82%).
Ruiner is $13.39/£10.04 on Steam (save 33%) and is one of our favorite recent games.
Amazon doesn't have many game deals yet, but we expect more to pop up throughout the week. Many of Amazon's PC game sales get you a Steam key, but we'll mention if the deal is for a physical edition or a download from Amazon.
Killing Floor 2 is $15 on Amazon (save $15).
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is $12 on Amazon (save $28).
At the time of writing you've got a couple days to get MDK completely free on GOG, and if you spend at least $15 USD during GOG's Black Friday sale you'll get StarCrawlers free, too.
Dead Space is $5/£3.79 on GOG (save $15/£12.20).
Kerbal Space Program is $23.99/£18 on GOG (save $16/£12) and is one of the best games of all time by our measure.
This War of Mine is $4/£3 on GOG (save $16/£12) and includes the soundtrack.
Owlboy is $18.69/£14.19 on GOG (save $6.30/£4.80).
Theme Hospital is $1.49/£1.19 on GOG (save $4.50/£3.40).
The Heroes of Might and Magic bundle is down to just $8.95/£7.05 for five games, if you buy them all.
The Ultima bundle is $8.94/£7.14 on GOG, and includes Ultima 1-9 as well as Ultima Underworld 1 and 2. That's a lot of Ultima for less than $10.
The Tomb Raider bundle is $5.97/£4.77 on GOG (save $24) and includes Tomb Raider 1-3, The Angel of Darkness, The Last Revelation and Chronicles.
The Wing Commander bundle is $10.43/£8.33 on GOG (save $31.50/£23.80) and includes Wing Commander 1-5, Academy, Armada, and Privateer.
Humble is running its Fall Sale, and all purchases get you a Steam key for the game. For a limited time, Brutal Legend is discounted by 100%—which is to say that it's free—and a bunch of other games are available at steep discounts. The sale is huge, and there's a lot in the mix, so we've sifted through it to pick out some favorites:
System Shock Pack is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $16/£12), and includes System Shock Enhanced Edition and System Shock 2.
Valkyria Chronicles is $5/£3.74 on the Humble Store (save $15/£11.25).
Lichdom: Battlemage is $4/£3 on the Humble Store (save $36/£26).
Necropolis: Brutal Edition is $4.49/£3.44 on the Humble Store (save $25.50/£19.55). It isn't the best dungeon crawler out there, but it's fun with a friend.
Lords of the Fallen is $4.79/£3.83 on the Humble Store (save about $25/£20).
Psychonauts is $1/£0.69 on the Humble Store (save $9/£7.19).
Green Man is having a Black Friday blowout as usual, though you won't be able to see all of the discounts unless you register and sign in. Where it often diverges from competitors is with small (15% or so) discounts on popular or brand new games, and there are already a few available:
XCOM 2 is $19.80/£11.55 on Green Man Gaming (save 67%).
No Man's Sky is $24/£16 on Green Man Gaming (save 60%).
Assassin's Creed Origins is $51/£41.49 on Green Man Gaming (save $9/£8.50). The Official Ubisoft Store slightly beats this at $40.19. UK store has it for £41.49.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is $51/£34 on Green Man Gaming (save $9/£6).
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is $51 on Green Man Gaming (save $9), though the Official Ubisoft Store beats it with $45. UK edition is £37.50.
Rocket League is $10/£7.50 on Green Man Gaming (save 50%) and if you ask Tyler, it's the best game. The best game that there is. (He plays way too much Rocket League.)
Absolver is $25.49/£19.54 on Green Man Gaming (save $4.50/about £3.50).
Dustforce DX is $2.25/£1.57 on Green Man Gaming ($7.74/£5.42).
Fanatical (formerly Bundle Stars) gives you Steam keys when you buy, and right now they're offering an extra 10% off on some games when you use the code BLACKFRIDAY10. Here are a few highlights from the sale so far:
Mad Max is $5 on Fanatical (save $15). It's surprisingly good!
The Metro Redux Bundle is $6/£4 on Fanatical (save $24/£12), the same as Humble's deal.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 is $18.74/£14.24 on Fanatical (save $6.25/£4.75), a small discount on this collection of absurd games to play with friends live or over a stream.
Dead Cells is $12.74/£10.50 on Fanatical (save $4.25/£3.50).
Overcooked is $8.49/£6.50 on Fanatical (save $8.50/£6.50); a great couch co-op game.
Tabletop Simulator is $10/£7.49 on Fanatical (save $10/£7.50).
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is live and will run from November 22 to November 28. Here are the best deals on the PC's biggest games marketplace.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is $35.99/£27.00 on Steam (save 40%).
Dark Souls 3 is $23.99/£16.00 on Steam (save 60%).
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.49 on Steam (save $20/£22), and its DLC is discounted, too.
Endless Space 2 is $20/£17.49 on Steam (save $20/£17.49) and just got a big update.
SteamWorld Heist is $4.94/£3.62 on Steam (save about $10/£6), and SteamWorld Dig 2 is $15/£11.42 on Steam (save $5/£3.75).
This War of Mine is 80% off on Steam, coming to just $4/£3. You can find the same deal on GOG.
EA ran a Black Friday sale on Origin last year and it's at it again, with some decent discounts on its 2016 lineup, and even some markdowns on 2017 games. Here's the best of what's on offer now:
FIFA 18 is $36/£36.66 on Origin (save $24/33%) and is a definite improvement on previous PC FIFA releases.
Need for Speed Payback is $40/£36.66 on Origin (save $20/about £19), though it's worth noting we didn't exactly care for it.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is $20/£17.49 on Origin (save $20/17.50), and the Deluxe Edition is $25/£22.49 on Origin (save $25/£22.49). Despite all our issues with Andromeda, you're getting a lot of open-world space adventuring for your dollar at those prices. Unless you really want the soundtrack, though, we don't recommend the Deluxe Edition which mostly includes special armor and extra multiplayer items. There won't be any singleplayer DLC.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is $5/£4.49 on Origin (save $15/about £12), and at that price it's definitely worth a go—it was one of our favorite games of 2014.
Ubisoft has some light deals on PC downloads, including for some brand new games. Just make sure you're looking at the PC download edition, as the console discounts are different.
The Division is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 in the UK.
Watch Dogs 2 is $20.40 on the Ubisoft Store (save $39.59). It's £17 in the UK.
Far Cry Primal is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $30). It's £16 for UK buyers.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is $20 on the Ubisoft Store (save $20). For UK readers, it's £17.50.
Blizzard brings us discounts of up to 50% off on three of Battle.net's biggest games: Destiny 2, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft.
Paradox has knocked a lot of money off the best titles in its catalogue, including Cities: Skylines and Tyranny. If you already have these games be sure to check out the smaller but still significant discounts on expansion packs.
Hearts of Iron IV is $15.99/£13.99 on Paradox Plaza (60% off) and Fanatical for the WWII generals out there.
Crusader Kings 2 is $10/£7.50 on Paradox Plaza (75% off), it's still one of the best story generators ever.
Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
Every week, we ask our panel of PC Gamer writers a question about PC gaming. This week: what game would you recommend to a complete non-gamer? We also welcome your answers in the comments.
What if football, but with cars? Rocket League took off precisely because it's so easy to pick up and play, with fast matchmaking, intuitive controls and short matches. Within one game, any player of any skill will get it.
And then the obsession begins. Cars fly overhead in your dreams. You wander through the streets imagining what would happen if that BMW over there did a backflip to score a goal. You haven't spoken to your parents in weeks because you're trying to climb the ladder in ranked. You started playing in January, but now it's August and you've played nothing else, and you've had Prey sat on your hard-drive for months. Maybe you should stop? "I think we should see other people," your partner says. "No problem." you reply. But did you say that, or were you merely selecting a quick chat option in yet another game of Rocket League? You're 80 years old and dead, and you only ever reached Gold II rank.
Anyway, yeah, Rocket League. Great game, regardless of skill level.
Technically Kerbal Space Program is a very difficult game. Just ask the many Kerbals who are stuck endlessly orbiting the various moons and planets I have tried to visit. But, while hard, its difficulty isn't abstract. Kerbal Space Program is difficult because going to space is difficult. By basing itself on real-world, observable concepts, its challenge makes sense. That makes it an incredibly effective starter game. Also the fact that, if in doubt, you can usually just add more rockets.
It's also good because its success is scalable. In sandbox mode, you're never punished for failure. Instead, you're given an opportunity to learn, tweak and reassess. It's a great teacher, not just of the physics of rocket science, but also of how games can support experimentation and play on the path to a greater goal.
Basically prestige TV in game form. A compelling series of mysteries to solve, proper actors bringing the characters to life, and a larger narrative of corruption and scandal to get swept up in. You don't even have to drive anywhere: just get your partner to do it for you. And if you're having trouble with the action sequences—gunfights, car chases, and so on—the game lets you just skip them. It has some problems, sure, but if you don't 'get' games, L.A. Noire will immediately make sense. Everyone loves a good detective mystery, and Rockstar's game presents its varied, mostly well-constructed cases with the lavish feel of a US TV drama.
I know, I know, but probably Hearthstone. I've been teaching my nephew on holiday and they've done a ton of work to make the new player experience more friendly. Until you start getting serious about trying to climb ladder, it's also a free-to-play game that you can genuinely have fun goofing around in without having to drop dollars. Tavern Brawls, Arena Runs, even just administering kickings to the Innkeeper AI are all a fine way to spend a few hours on your PC when you're supposed to be working. I should know.
You don't need any knowledge of game genres or complicated control schemes to play through this fascinating mystery. If you can Google, you can play Her Story. The game is a database of videoclips showing police interviews with a woman—is she a suspect, a witness, a victim? You search for key phrases to bring up new clips containing fresh clues to search for. The format is surprisingly good at delivering twists, and the game is particularly fun if you have friends around to help put the pieces together.
It's bright, it's colorful, it's amusing, and there's just about the most perfect learning curve in a game I can think of, where you're given just enough time to figure how to best use a new plant when a new zombie shows up, and you're just about on the brink of having your home invaded when the final zombie falls. There's also plenty of extra modes and activities that are fun to play around with. It's also addictive as hell, so even if it's their first game it won't be their last.