How game fans survive the Steam Summer Sale

WAY TO HOOK 'EM: Regular deep discount sales have helped popularise PC gaming on Steam and elsewhere.

A global community of PC, Mac and Linux game fans prepares its collective wallet for 2015's Steam Summer Sale, many expecting it to run June 11-22 after a leak on a Russian website, but even veterans are unsure of quite what to expect. 

Wait for the daily deals 

With the majority of titles across Steam's catalogue reduced, it's tempting to spend right away. Instead, those looking to get the most fun out of their funds tend to wait for one of three things to occur before splashing out: a daily deal, a flash sale, or a successful community vote. 

Any other must-haves can then be picked up as the Summer Sale draws to an end; the most popular discounts are reprised during a two-day encore (June 21-22). 

Steam refunds 

To a minor extent, the Daily Deal mantra has been diluted by June 2nd's introduction of Steam Refunds. Any game bought from the Steam Store and played for less than two hours can be returned for a full refund, within a two-week period.  

That lessens the risk of buyer's remorse, mitigating against a game's discount dropping further on a Flash or Daily – though not all games get that bigger price cut. 

Tracking value 

Verified Steam apps for iOS and Android help mobile users stay informed, while third-party sites like SteamDB, IsThereAnyDeal, and browser add-on Enhanced Steam can show game's price history or previous inclusion in bargain bundles. 

Other communities draw up tables charting game length, price, review score and user feedback to snag the best deals.  

And for those that don't mind if their games come from Steam or somewhere else, look for seasonal sales from other sites and services like Humble Bundle, GOG, Amazon, Itchio, and Origin. 

The meta-game 

There's an element of social and economic experimentation that comes with each major Steam Sale. 

For example, a virtual currency of Gems was introduced for the 2014 Winter Sale. Acquiring and spending Gems let users enter a number of lotteries before the Sale started. 

Others play the Steam Community Market – using inexpensive emoticons or profile backgrounds to make Gems, then using Gems to create and sell higher value digital trading cards. Mindboggling to outsiders but a significant source of income for the most committed – and for Steam itself. 

Limited excess 

One popular method of avoiding excess spending is to credit a Steam account with a set amount in advance, a capped limit. – AFP Relaxnews