Steam Summer Sale 2024: Best strategy games to grab at a discount

Summer is the best time for a campaign

Creative Assembly / Sega

Throughout human history, summer has been the time for war – with the fields planted and the weather stable, this was always the period in which emperors and warlords alike collected their forces to wage a campaign. Things haven’t changed much in the last three millennia, though the reason we wage war in summer today is not to be found in the environment or growing cycle of crops. No, we wage war in summer because Steam is selling us fantastic strategy games for cheap around this time of the year.

Without further ado, let’s check out the best strategy games to grab at a discount during Steam Summer Sale 2024.

Total War: Warhammer 3

Khorne's favorite hound, Karanak, was recently added to the game for free. / Creative Assembly / Sega

• 50% off.
• Find Total War: Warhammer 3 on Steam.

Total War: Warhammer 3 is riding high once again after the success of the Thrones of Decay DLC and an increased cadence of updates. Recent patches and reworks have maneuvered the game into its best state since it’s been released and upcoming DLC featuring Khorne, Ogres, and Greenskins has people buzzing with excitement – it’s a very good time to get into Total War: Warhammer 3.

Total War: Pharaoh

Pharaoh is about to be massively expanded. / Creative Assembly / Sega

• 33% off.
• Find Total War: Pharaoh on Steam.

Speaking of Total War games with great momentum: Pharaoh is about to get a massive update that essentially doubles its content, adding the Aegean and Mesopotamia to the map, making a whole host of minor factions playable, and introducing some big players of the era as brand-new major factions – say hello to the Mycenaeans, Trojans, Assyrians, and Babylonians. CA Sofia’s take on the Bronze Age is full of clever mechanics and deserves to be in any strategy game fan’s library.

Manor Lords

Building flourishing towns has never been so immersive. / Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse

• 25% off.
• Find Manor Lords on Steam.

Manor Lords is the smash-hit Early Access success from earlier this year and Hooded Horse is keeping its momentum going with another generous sale and frequent updates. Though as yet not content-complete, any city-builder fan will have a field day with this one. 

Make sure to check out Hooded Horse’s other games on Steam as well, most of which are discounted during this sale – I could fill an entire list just with their titles alone, but at this time I’d like to highlight their Soviet-themed city-builder Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic, which recently graduated from Early Access into 1.0 and is an incredibly detailed take on the genre, which will quickly make its way into the hearts of logistics enthusiasts.

Humankind

Visually, Humankind is one of the best entries into the turn-based strategy genre. / Amplitude Studios / Sega

• Off by 90%.
• Find Humankind on Steam.

Humankind may not have been the success Amplitude wanted it to be, but with a discount of 90% it’s almost a no-brainer to grab this absolutely gorgeous-looking turn-based 4X strategy game. Its innovative culture-picking feature is definitely a change of pace compared to other entries into the genre and its modability means that you can benefit from the community’s creative endeavors.

Stronghold: Definitive Edition

Ah, doesn't this bring back memories? / FireFly Studios

• Off by 34%.
• Find Stronghold: Definitive Edition on Steam.

Want to relive the classic castle-building experience from your childhood? The Definitive Edition of Stronghold is a very solid offer for your dose of nostalgia and a couple of extra campaigns with completely fresh content are available for just a couple of bucks as well, if you’re craving some extra experiences.

Hearts of Iron 4

Hearts of Iron 4 is the ultimate grand strategy game set in WW2. / Paradox Interactive

• Off by 70%.
• Find Hearts of Iron 4 on Steam.

Paradox always has some good deals going on for its games during Steam sales, so consider Hearts of Iron 4 as a representative for the publisher’s catalog. The WW2 grand strategy game is an amazing playground for strategy and history enthusiasts and the talented community that has gathered around the game has come up with some of the best mods I’ve ever experienced for a game.

Civilization 6

It's almost time to say goodbye to Civilization 6. / Firaxis / 2K Games

• Off by 95%.
• Find Civilization 6 on Steam.

Civilization 7 has officially been teased at SGF 2024, which means that it’s about time to play the predecessor – if you haven’t done so, for some inconceivable reason. How else are you going to complain about missing features when the sequel arrives, huh? Seriously, 95% off for a game of this size and quality feels like robbery.

Fabledom

Fabledom is a cozy and charming title. / Grenaa Games / Dear Villagers / Doyoyo Games

• Off by 35%.
• Find Fabledom on Steam.

Fabledom recently got its full launch and is an incredibly charming city-builder with a fairy tale and dating sim twist. Yeah, you’ve read that right. While it doesn’t completely use the potential of its setting, it’s a competent and laid-back entry into the genre anyone can enjoy.

The Lamplighters League

The Lamplighters League is a strong take on turn-based tactics. / Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive

• Off by 50%.
• Find The Lamplighters League on Steam.

The Lamplighters League is one of the coolest turn-based tactics games to be released in the last couple of years. Its inter-war vibes and atmosphere could be straight from Indiana Jones and perfectly accompany the mystical narrative built throughout the campaign. Each character has a strong personality and unique skills in combat, keeping things fun and fresh.