5 exciting games that only cost you 1 euro

The Steam Summer Sale has started and of course we are accompanying this event again with our editorial game recommendations. Aside from all the big titles that are now available at a low price, there are also countless smaller games waiting to finally find a new home with you.

Curtain up for Niche Sören! At this point, please play triumphant superhero music in your head. I slip into my spandex suit and take off my glasses – after all, no one should know it's me!

5 games for just one euro each – I'm now going to keep this heroic promise. Please don't expect any big triple-A blockbusters – but instead expect entertaining, uncomplicated gaming fun!

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Recommendation #1: Pony Island

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Pony Island – test video for the Steam indie favorite

• Release: January 2016
• Price: 0.74 euros

Buy Pony Island on Steam

Pony Island is… oh, cursed. Even a rough description of what awaits you here would be a major spoiler. Pony Island is definitely one thing: unique!

You are trapped in a broken arcade machine. What sounds extremely unpleasant in itself is made even more difficult by the fact that the arcade machine was built by the devil himself. You have to solve puzzles, look behind the corrupt facade of what was initially such a cute little game, and thereby drive the devil even more mad.

What happens then? Let's put it this way: That one euro is damn well invested!

Recommendation #2: Limbo

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Limbo – Test Video

• Release: August 2011
• Price: 1 €

Buy Limbo on Steam

Limbo is one of the first big indie hits I can remember. Back in 2011, when the rivers still ran with golden milk and the trees never lost their fruit, Limbo was on everyone's lips for a while.

If you have never played this gem before, you should definitely do so! In Limbo, you control a boy who is trudging through a dark forest and has to get home safely. And if I dark write, I mean it that way. You die often – and quite brutally, too.

You'll probably only play Limbo once, but I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun playing it.

Recommendation #3: SteamWorld Dig

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SteamWorld Dig: Launch trailer for the mining platformer

• Release: December 2013
• Price: 1 €

Buy SteamWorld Dig on Steam

Nowadays, the SteamWorld series is a well-known name in the world of video games. Things were very different in 2013. The first part, called SteamWorld Dig, came out of nowhere and immediately won over fans of platformers and Metroidvanias – like yours truly.

Everything here revolves around miningAs Steambot prospector Rusty, you dig through the earth and come across all kinds of treasures, but unfortunately also dangerous threats. The steampunk flair comes across really well from the first minute and the deeper you dig, the more exciting the game becomes.

So I strongly recommend it if you prefer cool soil in the current summer heat!

Recommendation #4: Venetica – Gold Edition

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Venetica – Test video for Scarlet's Adventure

• Release: September 2009
• Price: 1 €

Buy Venetica – Gold Edition on Steam

The oldest game on this list, but by no means a bad one: Venetica was the great German role-playing game hope in 2009 and unfortunately the title from Deck 13 was not able to fully live up to the many advance praises.

But I still love the role-playing game. On the one hand, this is due to the exciting premise of the story. You play Scarlet, a young woman who, under tragic circumstances, finds out at the beginning of the game that her father is Death incarnate. As a result, Scarlet suddenly has some really cool abilities that are great to experiment with.

The plot has its ups and downs, but at least it keeps me on the ball somehow. But I find the game world far more fascinating than the story. Ah, Venetica – I'm really impressed with your little towns and rivers in the best Tuscan atmosphere. Sure, the graphics don't look brand new anymore, but I'm sure you'll get used to it after a short period of getting used to it.

If you like good role-playing games, you can hardly avoid Venetica in 2024.

Recommendation #5: Drawngeon: Dungeons of Ink and Paper

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Drawngeon: Dungeons of Ink and Paper – Trailer for the old-school role-playing game with unusual graphics

• Release: May 2019
• Price: 1 €

Buy Drawngeon: Dungeons of Ink and Paper on Steam

Finally, from the oldest game on this list, we move on to the most unusual game. The graphic style of Drawngeon: Dungeons of Ink and Paper is just… cool! I can't say it any other way. This is one of those impulse purchases that I made on a Sunday afternoon just because I saw a picture of it while scrolling through the Steam store.

But the old-school role-playing game also has a lot to offer in terms of gameplay. You will be transported to Inkland, a hand-drawn world full of dungeons, forests, caves and secrets hidden withinYou move in the first-person view and fight in real time. This makes the gameplay reminiscent of the first Elder Scrolls games.

The highlight: Inkland is procedurally generated every time the game starts. What's more, a playthrough is relatively short. So if you're craving a good, entertaining dungeon crawler every few months, Drawngeon: Dungeons of Ink and Paper will always offer you variety.

Did any of my five tips work for you? If so, which game did you buy? Let me know in the comments!

And if your savings fever hasn't subsided yet, no problem: In the box above, we'll point you to two free games on Steam and Epic. There's also a huge summer sale on GOG waiting to equip you with new games.