Hey! I currently have some "dough" (okay that sounds stupid) to spend on Steam games and am looking for ideas. I am currently looking towards Prison Architect, but would like more suggestions. I can't run very high quality games, and if I do, it's at low settings and low FPS. So I would like well optimized games for around or under $20. If you guys have any ideas, please let me know.

 

I already have:

-ETS 2

-ArmA 2 CO/ArmA 3

-GTA IV/EFLC

-KSP

-Train Simulator whatever the heck the year is, they are all the same

-Several Others that I can't run

 

Thanks!

Train Simulator 2014 is good, but the problem is there aren't that many routes which sucks. The DLCs are expensive too. 

 

Anyway, Face Noir is a good game but I am not sure it would strike your fancy. Detective style game. 

The Stanley Parable is also damn good, always finding new stuff there. 

Also, what kind of games do you enjoy playing? 

LA Noire, great game.

 

Counter Strike Source or Global Offensive

 

Add another 10, you got yourself DayZ. If not, RUST.

Papers, Please is a fun little indie game. There's also Payday 2 which is a nice FPS game that revolves around robbing banks and purchasing different weapons/skills to better equip your character. It's centered mostly around online gameplay but you can play alone or with the AI.

 

 

DayZ is in Alpha stage right now, but I think it's fantastic. 

 

Far Cry 3 is a must have, that game is so freaking cool. 

 

Garry's Mod is a good game, along with other Valve Source Engine games like Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. 

I would go for prison architect, it is a great game with active developers who keep improving and updating the game in many ways. I have the game myself! Concerning your FPS, the game is not demanding. :]

 

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys, I'll be sure to check some of these games out!

 

Train Simulator 2014 is good, but the problem is there aren't that many routes which sucks. The DLCs are expensive too. 

 

Anyway, Face Noir is a good game but I am not sure it would strike your fancy. Detective style game. 

The Stanley Parable is also damn good, always finding new stuff there. 

Also, what kind of games do you enjoy playing? 

I've seen NerdCubed play The Stanley Parable, and thought it looked pretty sweet.

I seem to like simulators and free-roam, open world, puzzle kind of games. Kind of like The Stanley Parable. I enjoy a lot of games, really, I have things like GTA (ofcourse), Euro Truck Sim, Madden NFL, racing games, and I would enjoy getting The Stanley Parable.

It really is fun, and as I said you always find new stuff in there. I really love the humor in the game, so let me know what you think of it :) 

Train Simulator 2014 is good, but the problem is there aren't that many routes which sucks. The DLCs are expensive too. 

 

Anyway, Face Noir is a good game but I am not sure it would strike your fancy. Detective style game. 

The Stanley Parable is also damn good, always finding new stuff there. 

Also, what kind of games do you enjoy playing? 

 

I have played Railworks/Train Simulator 2014. Compared even with it's spiritual predecessor (Microsoft Train Sim), it is a little disappointing from the operations side as a train simulator. What it does have going for it is some of the best graphics around for a Train Sim nonetheless, but that's about it. I guess it's worth it if you can get it and the DLCs you want for cheap, but there isn't much in the way of Freeware for it, and frequent restructuring keeps scaring freeware devs away from it.

Train Sims I would recommend:

-Microsoft Train Simulator: Plenty of freeware available. Still a community out there that widely uses it. Also a new Open Source development for it being made using it called OpenRails that is supposed to introduce Multiplayer and increase functionality.

-Run8: Have friends that use it. Most realistic of all that I know of, as in all the systems are pretty well modeled. Made more for Multiplayer experience, but has DLC even more pricier than Rainworks. Might gett it when the CSX A Line is finished. Only thing stopping me there is how many times that guy has tried to make it between MSTS/TS2012 and now Run8, and the furthest he ever released was a very bare bones beta back in 2002 for MSTS.

-Maszyna (formally known as EU07-424): Freeware, it is based more on Polish Railways and the equipment used there. It's a nice step in between MSTS and Run 8 in terms of operational realism. The cabs are pretty nicely modeled too. Only downside it has is that the graphics are not exactly the best out there. Can be gotten from here: www.eu07.pl

-Trainz series (preferably 2012 these days). While not my favorite, and some folks have issues with it, I do have an older version I got super cheap on Steam. Not a bad sim, and likely more enjoyable than TS2014, as you can do more with less cash.

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On other games:

KSP is of course a must have for any PC gamer and any professional in the Aerospace industry who likes to have fun on their free time (our whole department here LOVES it.) If you can, I'd also look at the Saints Row series if you haven't already. SR:2 is sorta incomplete since Ultor Exposed can't be released for some reason, but the Gentlemen of the Row mod adds in a LOT of options that otherwise are not there. SR3 and SRIV are great fun, especially if you can get all of it+DLC for cheap when it's on sale!

 

If you're into RTSs, I'd also recommend the Sins of a Solar Empire packages. Had many long LAN parties with that one, and it's a quality product.

Edited January 13, 201412 yr by Leonov

Very good suggestions for train simulators mate, I've used all of which you listed, and if I have to choose, Microsoft Train Simulator is still the one I enjoy the most. I'm also playing "World of Subways Vol 3, London Underground" which is a solid train simulator, not a environment simulator. The game looks good, but the stations, tunnels etc are pretty bland. Still, I enjoy it. 

You should take a look at Bastion. Awesome story, art design and soundtrack. It's not the longest game, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. I don't know the price in Dollars, but I guess it'll be somewhere between 15 and 20$.

 

You play as "kid", who has survived a catastrophy called the "calamity" that kind of tore the game's world into pieces. Your aim is to find other survivors and build the so-called Bastion, which is an emergency base that was planned for events like these. What makes the story really interesting is the fact that it is narrated while you play it, with the narrator commenting on most of your actions.

 

I think Steam has a demo available, so try it out before buying.

Starbound is an excellent game I had a blast playing that and even the slowest of computers can run it. 

 

If you enjoy games where everything is destructible and you can build your own worlds like Minecraft and Terraria you will enjoy this game heaps!

 

Plus I think it's only about 15 dollars on steam and you get tons of gameplay out of such a cheap game!

 

Just my 2 cents :)

Edited January 13, 201412 yr by gameplayvids247

Very good suggestions for train simulators mate, I've used all of which you listed, and if I have to choose, Microsoft Train Simulator is still the one I enjoy the most. I'm also playing "World of Subways Vol 3, London Underground" which is a solid train simulator, not a environment simulator. The game looks good, but the stations, tunnels etc are pretty bland. Still, I enjoy it. 

 

Yeah, Maszyna can be fairly similar and is my personal favorite of the above. They're always doing updates to it though, and eventually they do updates, like make certain systems behave more realistically, make locomotives behave and sound more realistic, even have things such as coupling done in a more realistic fashion. The graphics don't really kill it too much for me to be honest, and have still come a far way compared with the earliest versions from about 13 years ago. If you have a hard drive that can handle the rather small 1 Gig, and don't have a problem torrenting it (as this is how the current versions are now distributed), it is worth a look, even though there might be a small language barrier as most everything is in Polish. There is a really good site though to reference for meaning of the Signals and signs though.

 

That and I like how the signals seem to have their behavior realistically modeled. There is also another sim from way back then that is also of Polish origin, called Mechanik. It put you in control of a Class EN57, and was fairly decent considering it's age, but Maszyna far outdoes it now.

Of course, MSTS runs a very close 2nd in my book, especially as it allows me to replicate a good chunk of the Amtrak Floridian (Chicago-Louisville (Monon-2 route), Waycross-St. Pete (Florida (Folkston) Funnel and the SCL A line beta)), and with a way to get appropriate (or near appropriate) equipment to do it.

I thought of another good game one can get off of Steam. IL-2: 1946. It does have a large learning curve, especially if you're going to play online, but it is essentially the Gran Turismo of WWII Aviation (and some mod packs have it go further). Once you find yourself understanding how to actually hit something, the rest comes down to understanding your aircraft and any evasive manouvers (almost impossible in a bomber, but I find flying high and planning around the big combat areas where the fighter jocks are tearing each other apart tend to work best. And even then, there is some issue as some people have found a way to make a cheat radar to find you apparently, as was revieled on the UltraPack mod forum.) Have to say, Steam does have some neat sims, with learning curves ranging from highly watered down (TS2014) to hyper realsitic (DCS sims are a good example here.)

ArmA's pretty fun, has a shit ton of mods (DayZ being one of them), and also has a lot of graphics settings so you can play it fine on netbooks even. Its a combat simulator, like Battlefield but much more realistic. However, its meant for online play (but does have single player campaign). You should also give Saints Row a go, which again, has plenty of graphics settings.

Problem with train simulator, it gets boring after a while, at least, that's my experience. With a game like prison architect, unexpected things are happening, you keep improving the prison, you have to respond to riots, fires, fights, breakouts, etc etc. 

But yeah, now you know multiple peoples perspectives about a few games. Have fun choosing which one I would go for prison architect =D. :p

 

 

I don't think it gets boring, I can enjoy playing the same thing over again actually. Maybe that's just me.