Steam Winter Sale 2025 – Ultimate Budget Gaming Guide Under $20

Got a Steam gift card for Christmas or looking to stretch your gaming budget? The Steam Winter Sale 2025 (December 18 - January 5, 2026) is here with massive discounts, and you don't need to spend $60 to get incredible games. With just $20, you can pick up multiple award-winning indie titles, multiplayer favorites, and hidden gems that will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.

• Sale Dates: December 18 - January 5, 2026
• Sale Times: 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM UTC
• Total Duration: 19 days
• Tip: Add games to wishlist for notifications
• Tip: Check daily for highlighted deals
• Note: Prices verified as of December 18, 2025

How to Maximize Your $20 Budget

Your budget can go a long way if you hunt down the best deals during the Steam Winter Sale 2025. Some of the best ways to save money while getting a lot of content is to purchase bundles, where you usually get multiple games at an incredible discount. You should also check the historically low prices on sites like IsThereAnyDeal to see if you're getting the best possible deal.

For the deepest discounts, you should prioritize indie games and older titles, since they are usually the ones that get the 50-90% price reductions at this time. The best way to guarantee a good time is to buy co-op games that are on sale, because, like everything, gaming is also way more fun with friends, and cooperative experiences are sure to give you plenty of bang for your buck.

So you don't waste your time on something you might not like, always check the Steam user reviews and sort games by their rating, avoiding anything that falls below Very Positive. Another good way to gauge how much value you'll get back from a game is to calculate how many hours you get from it for every dollar you spend, and compare the results across the games you're considering buying.

Best Games Under $5

These video games cost less than a fast-food meal while offering an absurd amount of content and enjoyment. Every game on here is a bargain and worth adding to your Steam library if you're a fan of the genre, so make sure to grab them during the Steam Winter Sale 2025.

• Vampire Survivor - $3.74 (25% off)
  • Genre: Roguelike
  • Best For: Quick and addictive sessions
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: The original bullet heaven is endlessly replayable with lots of characters, items, and secrets to unlock, with hectic gameplay that will keep you glued to your seat. It's one of those games where you sit down for a 20-minute session and then realize five hours have passed without you noticing.

• Terraria - $4.99 (50% off)
  • Genre: Sandbox/Adventure
  • Best For: Playing with friends and fans of crafting games
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: This action-packed adventure game offers massive amounts of content for a very low price. Sometimes referred to as 2D Minecraft, it offers a large world filled with secrets for you to explore and giant monsters to fight, with lots of crafting, whether you're customizing your base or gearing up your character.

• Peak - $4.95 (38% off)
  • Genre: Co-op Exploration
  • Best For: Playing with friends
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: Besides being an incredibly fun experience with friends, it's also an endlessly replayable game with new procedurally generated islands each day for you to climb, and regular updates that keep the game fresh.

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - $3.99 (90% off)
  • Genre: RPG
  • Best For: Enjoyers of story-rich open-world RPG games
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An amazing RPG experience from beginning to end that left me speechless the first time I played it. You get to explore an amazing open world filled with things to do, follow the incredible story where all your big choices matter, with even side quests affecting certain outcomes in the main quest. It won the Game of the Year award in 2015 for a good reason, and its two expansions make it even greater than it was, with 100+ hours worth of content.

• Portal 2 - $1.99 (80% off)
  • Genre: First-Person Puzzle and Co-op
  • Best For: Those seeking difficult brain teasers
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A classic puzzle game with challenging levels set in an abandoned laboratory whose secrets you get to uncover, while in the company of some of the most iconic villains in gaming, GLaDOS. The single-player campaign is incredible on its own, but it also includes a co-op campaign and amazing mod support.

• Celeste - $4.99 (75% off)
  • Genre: 2D Precision Platformer
  • Best For: Enjoyers of difficult platformers
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A beautifully rendered pixel-art world that hides how challenging the actual game is, especially if you're trying to collect everything. It offers a great challenge throughout its many worlds, without ever feeling unfair and impossible to beat, while also engrossing you in a relatable and thought-provoking story that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

• Fallout: New Vegas - $4.99 (50% off)
  • Genre: RPG
  • Best For: Fans of amazing stories and deep character customization
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: While I love all the games in the franchise, New Vegas stands above the rest with its brilliant writing, amazing and wacky characters, and a massive and engaging open world that you'll never get tired of exploring. You can also get the Ultimate Edition for a bit more, which comes with all the DLCs.

• Slay The Spire - $2.49 (90% off)
  • Genre: Roguelike Deckbuilder
  • Best For: Fans of card games and tactical turn-based combat
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An incredible roguelike deckbuilding game that inspired a whole genre, with lots of opportunities for you to showcase your creativity, while being infinitely replayable. The core game has a ton of content, with the Ascension difficulties being a true test of your gaming skills, and a dedicated modding community that keeps adding incredible new content. With the sequel releasing in 2026, now is the perfect time to play the original!

• Disco Elysium - $3.99 (90% off)
  • Genre: Isometric RPG
  • Best For: Players who love deep text-heavy RPG stories where all choices matter
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A story-rich game that forgoes traditional combat and focuses on the narrative and dialog choices you make, which will alter how the world and characters in it perceive you, but also how you perceive them as well. It requires a lot of reading, but if you're okay with that, you'll get to experience one of the most unique narratives in gaming.

Best Games Under $10

Here you'll find games that offer amazing experiences that you need to try if you haven't already. These are either deep discounts on older titles that offer the best representation of what games have to offer, or newer indie darlings that are seeing their biggest discounts yet during the Steam Winter Sale 2025.

• Hollow Knight - $7.49 (50% off)
  • Genre: Metroidvania
  • Best For: Solo challenge seekers
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An amazing representation of the metroidvania genre and what a small but passionate team can do, with an incredible hand-drawn art style and between 40-60 hours of content. With its sequel, Silksong, recently being released, now is the perfect time to experience this indie darling if you haven't already.

• Stardew Valley - $8.99 (40% off)
  • Genre: Farming Sim/RPG
  • Best For: Cozy gaming, relaxation
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: Come for the cute pixel-art farming sim; stay for an incredibly rich world filled with adventure, mystery, and countless quests. This endlessly replayable game lets you expand your farm, battle monsters deep in the mines, and build unique relationships with the townsfolk as you help restore a once-thriving community.

• Overcooked! 2 - $6.24 (75% off)
  • Genre: Co-op Party Game
  • Best For: Playing with friends (2-4 players)
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: Probably one of the greatest couch co-op games I've ever played. You and up to three of your friends embark on a cooking adventure that gets more stressful and challenging with each new level, but in the best way possible. There are a ton of stages to beat and plenty of laughs to be had with this one.

• Mass Effect Legendary Edition - $5.99 (90% off)
  • Genre: RPG
  • Best For: Fans of sci-fi stories and your choices impacting the narrative
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: This is one of the best RPG trilogies of all time, and you're getting the full package with all of the DLC for an insanely low price. It's one of my favorite games of all time, with an amazing story and memorable characters that I think about even years later.

• Hades - $7.49 (70% off)
  • Genre: Action/Roguelike
  • Best For: Fans of Greek mythology and replayable games
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An amazing action-roguelike that will grip you with its combat system and make you fall in love with its beautiful art style and memorable characters, with a story that reacts to both your successful and failed runs. It's endlessly replayable, with more to do even once you finish the main story, and it's probably my favorite game of all time.

• It Takes Two - $7.99 (80% off)
  • Genre: Two Player Co-op Adventure
  • Best For: Playing with a close friend or partner
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: It's an incredible cooperative experience with varied, imaginative levels that will ensure you have a blast. While it's a platformer at its core, each level brings with it completely new gameplay mechanics that spice things up and never let you get too used to things, while also giving you plenty of ways to mess with and compete with your co-op partner. It also features a friend pass, so only one of you needs to own the game.

• Dishonored 2 - $5.99 (80% off)
  • Genre: First-Person Stealth
  • Best For: Fans of stealthy gameplay
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An amazing stealth game that gives you plenty of options on how you can approach each level by using your gadgets and supernatural powers, but also rewards you for paying attention to every detail in the level. Its story is filled with intrigue, and the ending is affected by your actions throughout the game and how you choose to deal with your targets.

• R.E.P.O. - $6.99 (30% off)
  • Genre: Co-op Horror
  • Best For: Surviving monsters with friends
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: By far my favorite co-op experience this year, masterfully combining horror and silliness, resulting in a chaotic session every time you play, making you come back to it over and over. It's already an endlessly replayable gem of a game, but it's still in early access and getting consistent major updates, so there is even more to come.

• Dead Space Remake - $8.99 (85% off)
  • Genre: Third-Person Survival Horror
  • Best For: Fans of psychological survival horror
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A very atmospheric survival horror game that will keep you on edge throughout your time with it. It's an amazing sci-fi setting with plenty of mysteries that will pique your curiosity and creature designs that will inspire your nightmares. It's my favorite horror game of all time, and I recommend it to any fan of the genre.

Best Games Under $20

Here you'll find AAA titles at deep discounts, offering hours of incredible content, making this a great time to pick them up if you haven't already. They offer hours of incredible content. Besides them, you'll also find some of the most praised indie games with incredible discounts that you won't want to miss.

• Resident Evil 4 - $15.99 (60% off)
  • Genre: Third-Person Action Horror
  • Best For: Fans of action-packed survival horror
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: Probably the most popular game in the franchise and a great way to jump into it, even if you haven't played the rest. It's an amazing survival horror with all the elements you want from the genre, featuring intense action sequences and one of the most iconic protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy.

• Cyberpunk 2077 - $20.99 (65% off)
  • Genre: RPG
  • Best For: People who want to immerse themselves in an incredible sci-fi world
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: While it had a rocky start with its buggy launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has more than redeemed itself and is now one of the best RPG games of this generation. Night City is an amazing setting for a game that feels almost alive. You'll lose countless hours in it, going through the story that features a lot of twists and turns, iconic characters, and choices that impact the world around you.

• A Hat In Time - $14.99 (50% off)
  • Genre: 3D Platformer
  • Best For: Collectathon fans and anyone in need of some whimsy
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A great throwback and love letter to classic 3D platformers, while also being one of the best in the genre. It's an incredibly fun game with charming characters and levels that are a joy to explore, full of hidden secrets for you to uncover.

• Sifu - $15.99 (60% off)
  • Genre: Third-Person Beat'em Up
  • Best For: Anyone looking for a unique and challenging experience
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: It features an incredibly fun combat system to master, which you'll have to use against very difficult opponents while going through an engaging revenge story. It features a unique way of handling defeat: you respawn where you failed, but age, which has both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest change is to the ending, which makes it very replayable if you want all the endings.

• Outer Wilds - $14.99 (40% off)
  • Genre: Exploration Adventure
  • Best For: Exploring a vast, mysterious world that rewards curiosity
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An incredible and unique experience that will have you exploring a solar system that's doomed to die out, with you stuck in a time loop, trying to uncover the secrets and mysteries that will lead to your salvation. It's a one-of-a-kind game that focuses on gaining knowledge and investigating the strange situation you're in, rather than gaining upgrades or fighting enemies.

• God of War - $19.99 (60% off)
  • Genre: Third-Person Action Adventure
  • Best For: Fans of story-driven open-world action games
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: It won Game of the Year in 2018, and it shows. It has an amazing open world based on Norse mythology, with plenty of side content to explore while playing through the immersive main story and tearing through enemies with its intense, incredibly fun combat system. One of my favorite gaming experiences, which I wholeheartedly recommend.

• Dead Cells - $12.49 (50% off)
  • Genre: 2D Action Roguelike
  • Best For: Enjoyers of challenging, replayable games
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: A thrilling action game with intense combat, beautiful 2D animations, and varying playstyles that ensure everyone can find something that fits them like a glove. It's endlessly replayable and filled with unlocks and secrets that will change how you interact with the game once you uncover them. The sheer amount of content this game provides is incredible, and you will spend close to 100 hours, if not more, before you complete it.

Best Bundles Under $20

Below, you'll find our favorite game bundles that compile multiple gems from the gaming industry at very low prices. They offer the best value for money and amazing experiences that will keep you occupied for a long time.

• Batman Arkham Collection - $8.99 (85% off)
  • Genre: Stealth-Action Adventure
  • Best For: Batman fans or stealth-action games in general
  • Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: The best superhero video game trilogy of all time, which really makes you feel like you're Batman. They're amazing games, even if you're not a Batman fan, with a mix of both excellent fast-paced combat and tense stealth sections, allowing you to choose how you approach most situations. It also features a great story full of surprises that will keep you hooked throughout the trilogy.

• Metro Saga Bundle - $7.49 (87% off)
  • Genre: FPS Survival Horror
  • Best For: Fans of immersive post-apocalyptic survival
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: This game series is drenched in atmosphere and attention to detail that immerses you in its world and never lets go. It's a tense and difficult game that explores what it means to be human after the society you knew collapses overnight. It's a great world filled with mysteries and horror elements, with some great first-person shooting mechanics breaking the tension as you move between locations.

• Bioshock: The Collection - $11.99 (80% off)
  • Genre: FPS Action RPG
  • Best For: Fans of unique FPS games with amazing stories
  • Steam Rating: Very Positive
  • Why It's Worth It: An amazing trilogy of games that explore beautifully realized worlds, both below the sea and above the clouds. You will be enthralled by the atmosphere of these games and invested in the story filled with iconic twists and turns. Add to that an incredibly fun and creative combat system, and you're in for a great time.

Pro Tips for Budget Gaming

Finally, we've prepared some quick tips to help you fully maximize your budget during the Steam Winter Sale 2025, but this advice can be applied to any future big sale as well.

• Use Steam Wishlist - A great way to get notified of discounts during the Steam Winter Sale 2025 as soon as they happen for the games you add to the Wishlist.
• Check IsThereAnyDeal.com - A quick way to see if the game in question has ever been on a bigger discount, so you can make sure that you're getting a good deal.
• Read reviews carefully - Focus your attention on games with Very Positive and Overwhelmingly Positive ratings, but also read the reviews other people have left, both positive and negative, so you know if a game is right for you.
• Look for demos - Always try a game out before you buy if it has a demo available. Do be aware that Steam offers a refund if you played for less than two hours.
• Follow Steam Curators - It's a great way to get recommendations if you find curators with similar tastes to yours.
• Join r/GameDeals - It's a community-run forum where people share their recommendations and great discounts that they find online through various stores.

Steam Winter Sale 2025 FAQ

The Steam Winter Sale 2025 is the ultimate event for budget gaming, where your stash of $20 can go a long way, providing you with hours of enjoyment. While you don't need to rush and buy everything on the first day, do be aware that the sale ends on January 5, so make sure you get everything you want before then.

Make sure to create your Steam Wishlist for easier price comparisons, so you're alerted whenever there's a sale in the future, and you never know if someone might look through your wishlist and give you a surprise gift. But most importantly, don't succumb to the Steam Sale curse, where you buy a lot of games that you don't end up playing. Make sure to actually play and enjoy the games!

If you need any help getting through the games you purchase, make sure to check out our guides!