The Steam Summer Sale is steering what the Rock Paper Shotgun team is playing this weekend, with several writers loading up on discounted indies and revisiting old favourites during a sweltering heatwave. As ever, the team's weekend roundup doubles as a casual recommendations list for anyone hunting for something new to play while staying out of the sun.
Steam Summer Sale picks worth grabbing
With the sale live, the cheap-and-cheerful indie haul is the weekend's main theme. Julian picked up five games on sale for a few pounds each and was immediately taken with one of them after a Friday lunch-break session:
- Noita - a pixel roguelite where every physics particle is simulated.
- Rain World - a survival platformer with a striking ecosystem.
- The White Door - a minimalist narrative puzzle game.
- Carrion - a reverse-horror game where you play the monster.
- Minishoot' Adventures - a twin-stick shooter Julian was instantly hooked on.
Seasonal sales are often the best moment to clear out a wishlist, and Julian noted he had heard good things about all five picks. He also pointed out that critic Graham awarded Minishoot' Adventures a Bestest Best, the site's top recommendation. For more recommendations and coverage, our gaming section tracks the releases worth your time.
Heat plans over game plans
Not everyone is rushing the sale. Callum plans to escape his overheating PC, then circle back to buy a load of horror games and play them in one putrid sitting. Ollie is sitting this one out entirely, declaring it too hot for games or desktops.
Ongoing favourites
Several writers are sticking with games they already own. James has been enjoying Darktide's new Skitarii class, whose gimmick centres on landing enough mace hits to charge a battery, then spending those charges to carve through enemies with a giant razor claw.
Mark, meanwhile, started a playthrough of the original Red Dead Redemption that drifted halfway into Red Dead Redemption 2, drawn back by its deeper hunting mechanics and Arthur Morgan's company. It is a neat illustration of how a backlog dip can pull you into a much bigger game than you planned on.
Away from the screen
A few of the team are stepping away from games entirely. Edwin is travelling north through the heat to a charity event his family used to run, expecting no videogames to be involved, while Jeremy is in Turkey enjoying cooler temperatures than London.
The author planned to spend the morning cycling before the tarmac turned into an oven, with the reward of the first barbecue of the summer waiting at the other end, and only afterward settling in to play. It is a snapshot of how a small team spends a heatwave weekend: some chasing Steam Summer Sale bargains, others escaping screens altogether. The takeaway for anyone browsing the sale is that the best value often sits in cheap, well-reviewed indies rather than the headline AAA discounts, especially when a few pounds can clear several wishlist entries at once. For more picks and previews, see the latest on our news feed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Steam Summer Sale indie picks here?
The team's standouts are Noita, Rain World, The White Door, Carrion and Minishoot' Adventures, with the twin-stick shooter Minishoot' getting the strongest praise after winning the site's top recommendation.
What is Darktide's Skitarii class?
It is a new class built around charging a battery with melee mace hits, then unleashing those charges to tear through enemies with a large razor claw.
