Steam Turn-Based Thursday Fest: best games to grab at a discount

Red Hook Studios

Being a great tactician means identifying opportunities and exploiting them – and the Turn-Based Thursday Fest on Steam, which will run until April 8, 2024, is undoubtedly such a chance. With a focus on turn-based strategy and tactics games, you can grab fantastic titles at bargain prices in this sale as well as play through free demos for many promising titles that are yet to be released.

Read on to find the best games to grab at a discount during Steam Turn-Based Thursday Fest 2024.

Darkest Dungeon

• Off by 90% – lowest-ever price.
• Find Darkest Dungeon on Steam.

After playing for a while, you'll be able to hear this image. / Red Hook Studios

Crisp turn-based battles, satisfying roguelike mechanics, and a grimdark atmosphere and presentation that brings its eldritch horror themes to life? Yeah, Darkest Dungeon is the full package and grabbing it for some chump change is the best investment you’ll ever make – narrator Wayne June’s voice lines alone are worth the money.

Having inherited an estate with a dark secret, you hire adventurers to clear out the ruins and rebuild – but be careful, for death isn’t the only danger that awaits the brave souls who take on those jobs. As the darkness creeps closer and the horrors become stranger, your warriors’ minds may well break before their bodies.

Battletech

• Off by 75% – lowest-ever price.
• Find Battletech on Steam.

You move around giant mechs and start blasting. / Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive

Hear me out: Refined tactical battles with giant mechs. That’s it. That’s the pitch. Battletech puts you in charge of your very own mercenary company of mech pilots and their hardware, allowing you to customize and modify your units to fit whatever play style or mission profile is needed.

Aside from brilliant turn-based battles, this title will have you travel the galaxy in search for the most lucrative contracts and manage your hot-headed pilots, who may not always get along so well. Wait, it’s basically Top Gun in space. With mechs. That’s the pitch!

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

• Off by 75%.
• Find Shadowrun: Dragonfall on Steam.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall offers a one-of-a-kind cyberpunk setting. / Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive

Another game developed by Harebrained Schemes and published by Paradox Interactive? Yes. Battletech’s success didn’t come out of nowhere. Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut is a cyberpunk CRPG with a fantastic story and gripping turn-based combat.

The Director’s Cut offers an even better experience than the original with some refined combat mechanics, a redesigned interface, an expanded pool of items and other equipment, and more character customization to give you additional freedom while building your team.

Battle Brothers

• Off by 50%.
• Find Battle Brothers on Steam.

Other humans are the least fearsome enemies for your mercenaries. / Overhype Studios

Brought to you by German indie studio Overhype Studios, Battle Brothers is one of the best mercenary sims out there, uniting the best aspects of turn-based tactical combat with the sandbox nature of games like Mount & Blade or Jagged Alliance. 

Lead your very mercenary company through a grimdark fantasy world by taking on contracts, battling mighty foes, and living to tell the tale. As your reputation grows, you’ll get access to better-paying jobs, but beware – making big waves in the world comes with the danger of creating powerful enemies for yourself.

Wildermyth

• Off by 30%.
• Find Wildermyth on Steam.

Wildermyth lets you build your own pantheon of fantasy heroes. / Worldwalker Games

Worldwalker Games has the perfect solution for bite-sized TTRPG-style adventures – Wildermyth. Coming with preset campaigns as well as the ability to procedurally generate worlds and stories for you, this game combines some great storytelling, a charming artstyle, and very solid turn-based combat mechanics into a RPG that will keep you captivated for many hours.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of this game is that characters you’ve used in a story may get to appear in future campaigns, with former heroes taking on the role of the seasoned mentor or coming out of retirement for one last fight, retaining some of their skills, equipment, and their personalities.