Introduction to Steam’s Genre-Specific Festivals
With the summer sale a few weeks behind us, we’ve re-entered the march of Steam’s genre-specific festivals, offering shorter-term savings on specific flavors of games. The latest fest to kick off is the Steam Tower Defense Fest, which began today and will run until 10 am Pacific on August 5, 2024. This festival celebrates the tactical placement of defensive fortifications, with numerous games available at discounted prices.
Top Picks from the Tower Defense Fest
Among the many games on sale, the one topping my list is Cataclismo, currently 20% off at $23.99. Technically, it’s been on sale since its early access launch last week as an early-adopter discount, but that introductory price ends the same day the genre fest does. This tower defense RTS is promising enough that I’m willing to overlook the asterisk if it means having another chance to discuss it. As we wrote in our Cataclismo preview, its Lego-inspired fort building makes it a joy to hand-craft a bulwark against hordes of horrors.
For those looking for deeper discounts on older favorites, Orcs Must Die! 3 is 80% off for six bucks. This game combines third-person combat with traps and tower placement to stem an oncoming tide of orcs, goblins, and other fantasy creatures. Another excellent choice is Stronghold: Definitive Edition, the 2023 remaster of a classic castle sim, which is currently 34% off at $9.89. For a more stripped-down strategy, consider Bad North: Jotunn Edition, currently less than $4. It’s a pared-down defensive tactics game where you carefully position a small number of units to defend randomly-generated islands from sea raiders. It’s perfect for bite-sized battles when you have only a few minutes to spend.
Upcoming Steam Festivals
After the Tower Defense Fest ends on August 5, we’ll move immediately into a Fighting Games Fest that will run until August 12. A Rhythm Fest will kick off a week after that. These genre-specific festivals will continue until the next seasonal sale arrives with the Steam Autumn Sale on November 27, less than a month before the Winter Sale returns on December 19. For the full rundown of upcoming sale dates, be sure to check out our Steam sale schedule.