Steam Summer Sale: 8 Tips On Getting The Best Deals

The Steam Summer Sale is here. It's a statement that'll bring both feelings of joy and dread as you think of all the incredible deals you'll get on all the incredible games you'll almost certainly never play.

Don't panic though, we're here to make sure this year is different. Check out the advice below and we'll guide you through the endless depths of discounted titles, whether it's discovering Half Life 2 for under £2 or avoiding Day Z for £16.99.

And don't forget other gaming stores are getting in on the action -- EA, for instance, has made Titanfall free for 48 hours on its own Origin store.

Here are our eight top tips:

• Use your wish list
• It's there for a reason, these are the games you've been meaning to buy but either aren't out yet or have cost too much to justify your hard earned cash. Now is the time, go delve through it and we're sure you'll find a discounted gem.
• Be patient
• Like a child in a newly opened M&M World people will gorge themselves on games. Don't. It's a summer sale, not a day sale so you've got two glorious weeks. Take your time, plan your method of attack and you'll end up saving literally pounds.
• Buy games you'll actually play
• Seems like common sense but over 37 per cent of the games we buy on Steam, we never play. That's an enormous waste. Think it through, are you really going to play Castle: The Game? Probably not.
• Check the PC requirements
• It's a rookie error but one so easily made. You see Crysis 3 has been massively discounted and without thinking you click buy. Next thing you know you're stuck in a world of lag and a PC that's seconds away from complete and utter meltdown. Check the specs, it'll save you, and your computer a whole world of shame.
• Embrace the nostalgia
• Not got the world's most powerful gaming PC? No neither do we, so try a new approach. Head back in time and check out the incredible games of old. Quake's only £2.99, Half Life is £1.74 and the impossible but utterly brilliant Commandos series are 59p each. That's right, 59p.
• Follow these people on Twitter
• Twitter is the root of all nonsense. It's also a great place to find out about cheap games. Follow @Steam_Games to get the big updates, once you've done that it's time to track down the developers. These guys not only love games but they happen to make them, so if theirs is getting a discount they're going to shout about it. Also #SteamSale may provide you with a wave of post-spending depression but it's also a great way to avoid any real shockers.
• The end is nigh, so wait
• Wait. Seriously wait. Steam always has a big blowout near the end where it'll bring a load of games back and slash up to 75 per cent off. Yes it can cause a free for all but as long as you keep your head and don't go buying anything silly you'll come out on top.
• Go mobile
• Have a job? It can get in the way of enjoying the Steam Summer Sale so instead download Steam for iOS or Android and you can buy games on the go. A neat addition to this is if you've got it set up, your games will have downloaded by the time you get home from work.