Following a leak of its dates via the Steam Database Twitter account earlier this summer, the Steam 2019 Summer Sale has finally begun, kicking off on June 25 and ending July 9 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Thousands of PC games are marked down across various genres, so you're sure to find a game (or 20) on your wishlist that's cheaper than usual.

　　But there's more to this sale than just discounted games, namely a somewhat complex mini-game with accompanying quests that give you the chance to win some free games. That's actually been the subject of some controversy, prompting Valve to make changes to how it works and advising Steam users that they don't need to remove anything from their wishlist. Here's everything to know about the ongoing sale, including recommendations for some of the best deals (both overall and for those on a tighter budget).

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How to get cheaper games

One thing to be aware of before diving into the Steam sale is that you may have some better options. Competing sales might outright have Steam games for cheaper than they're available on Steam. But even if that's not the case, buying discounted gift cards and using those on Steam will save you as much as an additional 15% on top of the sale prices that are offered.

　　

Our favorite Steam sale game deals

Once you're ready to start buying, the sale can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many hundreds of games and DLC packs to browse through that it can be a bit paralyzing. That's where we come in: We've assembled a list of our picks for the best Steam summer sale deals, complete with explanations of why we think they're so great.

　　

Best cheap Steam sale games

If you specifically want to get the cheapest games possible, you're in luck. The Steam sale is home to a variety of great deals on cheap PC games, and we've assembled a list of recommendations with many of our favorites that you can have for $10 or less.

　　

Steam Summer Sale 2019 mini-game

Hope you like racing, because the theme of this year's mini-game is Grand Prix. As with previous years' games, the Grand Prix game allows you to earn points which can be redeemed for various freebies at the Pit Stop, like chat emoticons and profile backgrounds. To participate, you'll have to choose between five different teams and complete various Grand Prix quests to earn points, which brings you closer to earning a Boost for your team. Boosts will put your team further ahead in the race, and random members of the teams who come in first, second, and third place will earn the top game on their Steam wishlist for free. So now's the time to go update that wishlist if you haven't already--but as Valve says, you don't need to remove anything from your wishlist, as you can simply place the game you want for free at the top.

　　

More PC game deals

Even if you're not interested in the Grand Prix game discussed above, there are still countless game deals to be had over the next two weeks, including markdowns on Devil May Cry 5 for $39.59, Civilization VI for $15, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for $48, Undertale for $4, and Stardew Valley for $12. (Other discounts aren't quite so big, but deliberately so.) See more picks that caught our eye below:

　　428: Shibuya Scramble -- $15Ark: Survival Evolved -- $17.49Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Astroneer -- $22.49Baba is You -- $10.49Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe -- $12BlazBlue: CrossTag Battle -- $22.49Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon -- $6Civilization VI -- $15Danganronpa 1/2/V3 bundle -- $32.97Darkest Dungeon -- $7.49Dead Cells -- $16.74Devil May Cry 5 -- $39.59Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition -- $27Enter the Gungeon -- $7.49Hollow Knight -- $9Katamari Damacy Reroll -- $18Left 4 Dead bundle -- $2.23Night in the Woods -- $12Nioh -- $20Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire -- $25Prey -- $15Return of the Obra Dinn -- $18Scythe - Digital Edition -- $8Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice -- $48Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $24Slay the Spire -- $12.49Slime Rancher -- $10Sonic Mania -- $6.79SoulCalibur VI -- $19.79Stardew Valley -- $12Star Wars: Complete Collection -- $83.02Two Point Hospital -- $17.49Undertale -- $4Valkyria Chronicles 4 -- $20.39XCOM 2 -- $15Yakuza 0 -- $10Zero Escape Trilogy -- $22.38Steam has even more reason to pull out all the stops for this year's Summer Sale, as the Epic Games Store recently held its first big storewide sale, dubbed the Epic Mega Sale, and it offered some pretty serious discounts. The Epic Games Store continues to pick up exclusive PC versions of major titles, such as The Division 2 and Borderlands 3, but there's no question Steam still has the greater volume and diversity of games that make its Summer Sale such a huge event for PC gamers.

　　While PC games are on your mind, be sure to check out Fanatical Red Hot summer sale, which also has discounts on thousands of PC games right now. Many of them must be redeemed on Steam, so before you make a purchase, it's worth double-checking the price at places like Fanatical and Green Man Gaming to ensure you're getting the lowest price.