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CheckMag | Steam Winter Sale: 4 ruthless RTS and 4X game deals in gaming's hottest holiday bargain bonanza

The 2023 Steam Winter Sale discounts some truly spectacular RTS games. (Image source: Steam - edited)
The 2023 Steam Winter Sale discounts some truly spectacular RTS games. (Image source: Steam - edited)
Steam's epic 2023 Winter Sale is in full swing, bringing with it some of the best RTS gaming deals of the year. Delve into legendary battles in A Total War Saga: TROY, an intense FPS-RTS hybrid in Silica, or hostile political machinations in Dune: Spice Wars.

1. A Total War Saga: TROY - 50% off

The Total War franchise has played host to some of the best games in the Warhammer universe, but it also has some gripping takes on some of history's biggest conflicts. A Total War Sage: TROY is one such game, using Homer's The Iliad as a foundation and dropping players in the midst of the Trojan War. The game blends real-time battles with turn-based strategy elements to create a compelling empire-management simulation.

TROY puts players in charge of one of the legendary generals from The Iliad, including Hector of Troy, Achilles, and King Menelaus as they command their soldiers through epic sieges and battles with both men and beasts of Greek mythology. As you advance through the game, your empire's reach will grow, and you will need to adapt your strategies to deal with ever-growing threats.

A Total War Saga: TROY is discounted to $24.99 during the Steam Winter Sale, which runs until January 4, 2024.

2. Silica - 20% off

Silica is an indie sci-fi game that blends RTS and FPS gameplay and gives you the freedom to play the game your own way. You can play as one of three factions — two human and one alien — to vie for control of the hostile planet of Baltarus. Play in FPS mode, hunting down aliens or humans one by one, or lead squadrons of troops to victory from above as a commander in RTS mode. 

Your goal in Silica is to set up a home base away from Earth and extract valuable resources from the planet, while defending yourself from rival interests, native creatures, and the hostile planet itself.

The game features a handful of fun mechanics, like the variety of vehicles, or the alien hive mind that allows players to switch between eight different insectoid units on the fly. Silica features multiplayer, with up to 12 players per map, three different game modes, and six unique maps to choose from.

Silica is $15.99 during the Steam Winter Sale thanks to a modest 20% discount — it did only release in May 2023, after all.

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3. Dune Spice Wars - 30% off

Anyone familiar with the Dune franchise knows that Spice is synonymous with the arid desert planet of Arrakis and its violent colonisers who plot and scheme for control over the precious resource. Dune: Spice Wars is a 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) RTS game that puts players in command of the head of one of the clans looking to take over the hostile planet.

To succeed at their goal, players will have to not only dominate rival clans, but contend with the inhospitable landscape, devastating storms, and its native fauna, including the colossal sandworms lurking beneath the dunes.

Dune: Spice Wars has a number of game modes, including 2v2 and free-for-all multiplayer with customisable games, maps, and AI aggression.

Dune: Spice Wars is on sale for $24.49 during the Steam Winter Sale until January 4, 2023.

4. Stellaris - 70% off

Stellaris is a 4X sci-fi RTS game that puts players in command of galactic domination on a grand scale. Take control of an alien race that has just discovered faster-than-light travel. It is your job to explore your galaxy and use strategy, combat, and diplomacy to expand your empire's reach.

Stellaris delivers polished, grandiose visuals and a wealth of variety in both scenery and play styles, thanks to procedural generation and continued updates over the years. How you play directly impacts your outcome. Your story in Stellaris is decision-based.

Everything from your chosen race's characteristics to your ethics, the way you interact with other civilisations, and how you choose to develop your empire will alter the outcome of the game. There's also cross-platform multiplayer support for up to 32 players if you want to abandon the intricacies of the AI-powered gameplay for some chaotic strategy time with friends.

Stellaris is on sale for $7.59 during the Steam Winter Sale.

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Source(s)

Steam (1, 2, 3, 4)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 12 > Steam Winter Sale: 4 ruthless RTS and 4X game deals in gaming's hottest holiday bargain bonanza
Julian van der Merwe, 2023-12-23 (Update: 2023-12-23)