The best exclusive video games on Steam

Steam is the best platform for many PC gamers, and for good reason. It works well, has a lot of great sales and a huge range of titles from AAA games to indie bangers. There are also a lot of games that are exclusive to Steam that you can't find anywhere else, although they are very much in the minority.

If Steam is your primary platform, be sure to grab these rare titles for your library during the sale. Many of them are Valve games, but we'll leave them out Half-life 1 to get a PS2 port and Half-Life 2 specifically for being included in a special Orange Box and thus available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, technically still very much playable on those consoles.

Garry's mod

A sandbox that spawned several iconic games

Valve's physics sandbox Garry's mod is among the most influential games on Steam. It spawned several game modes that have since become extremely iconic, such as Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt to name a few. It's a fun little tool that lets you play with different assets.

If you wanted, you could even spawn into NPCs and throw items around to see what would happen. But the main draw remains all the user-generated content, which acts as an endless source of entertainment. Who remembers the good old days of gaming YouTubers playing Prop Hunt on cooldown? i do!

Aperture Desk Job

A special portal for Steam Deck lovers

Let's talk about the Steam Deck for a moment. If you happen to own this cool piece of technology, you may already be familiar with it Aperture Desk Jobwhich is a small game made by Valve specifically for Deck. It's your first day on the job, and if the world feels a little familiar, that's because it is.

It's actually based on the world Portal franchise. You progress through a working day, joined by the iconic humor made famous by many other Valve titles. It feels more like a demo for Steam Deck, but since it's completely free, it's definitely worth checking out at least once.

Cruel Squad

Punk colors and cruelty straight to your retinas

Speaking of climbing the corporate ladder, Cruel Squad. You are a member of this group in this rather bright and retro-looking FPS game that puts you in action-packed and visually busy levels full of enemies.

It's your job to make your company proud by descending into what the developers call the “garbage world,” but it won't be easy. If you like immersive sims, you'll definitely see the appeal here with some callbacks to games like it Deus Ex and even tactical shooters like Rainbow Six. It's a bloody and gory experience that's not for the faint of heart, but it also works as a nice throwback to many old first-person shooters.

DOTA 2

Sequel to the iconic MOBA that started it all

original Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft 3 blew people away and eventually led to a MOBA masterpiece that DOTA 2 is today Whether or not you are more a League of Legends man, you can't deny the cultural impact DOTA 2 has even had its own inspirational Basshunter song over the years.

The esports scene is huge, and since it's free-to-play, with every single hero available to you right from the start, it's easy to see why some people might pick it up over the restrictions. League of Legends introduces, although some argue that his learning curve is more punishing and his matches are slower.

Team Strength 2

A heroic shooter that will remain a bomb even years later

Another incredible free-to-play treat from Valve, Team Strength 2 is a must have for anyone who has been shooting heroes in the last decade or so. Overwatch, Marvel Rivalsand Valiant everything stands on solid foundations that can be said to be laid Team Strength 2 and first his predecessor.

It features a much smaller roster, but each class actually feels very distinct, and the matchups are a nice callback to those chaotic early days. Overwatch when no one knew exactly how to play the game. If you miss it, play this. It's still a masterpiece.

Counter-Strike 2

The freshest take on the iconic tactical shooter

The Counterstrike series is a mainstay of the video game industry, especially on the competitive multiplayer side. Tactical shooter gameplay has evolved into an art form over the years after first being released as a Half-life mod with a robust esports side and its free-to-play model that anyone can jump into regardless of skill, cementing its place as a masterpiece of good game design.

Counter-Strike 2 he followed in these footsteps without complicating it. It delivers exactly what it is CS: GO did, but brings everything up to date, from the graphics to the sound design. While cheaters are still a common problem, it speaks volumes for the quality of the series and the game itself that it consistently ranks at the top of Steam's player charts.

Half-Life: Alyx

An incredible showcase of VR mechanics and detail

Half-life fans have been hoping for something substantial for years Half-Life: Alyx dropped And while the VR game wasn't exactly what people were hoping for, the VR game absolutely exceeds all expectations. It's a truly immersive experience that takes you into the world Half-life as if you were really there and the controls for VR were clearly thought out.

Its peak, though? Absolutely stunning visuals, sound design and atmosphere. This is pretty much the gold standard of all things VR, combining quality storytelling and snappy gameplay into one package, and it's something we need more of on the VR gaming side in general.

Project Zomboid

A highly detailed Retro Zombie Survival game

Outside of games, Valve is one of Steam's mainstays Project Zomboid. This zombie survival game has been in development for more than a decade, but it has managed to win the hearts and minds of many survival game lovers.

It's a huge open-world environment with detailed survival features from thirst to boredom, and it truly presents a challenge like no other game – well, maybe Cataclysm: Dark Days Aheadbut if you prefer your zombie games with a little more graphical dimension, give it a try Project Zomboidand see what the hype is about.

Black Mesa

Fans poured their love into this Half-Life Remake

So here we are. It wouldn't be a list of the best Steam exclusives without a mention Half-lifeone of the best horror FPS games that tells the story of Gordon Freeman and a science experiment gone horribly wrong. It was a phenomenon that defined an entire generation and spawned a myth Half-life 3 (which may not actually be much of a myth anymore).

Since it received a PS2 port, it's technically not a Steam exclusive, so we have to discuss Black Mesaa fan project that updated the first game by improving its visuals. Whichever experience you jump into, you're in for a truly memorable time and a true throwback to when games had to be good out of the box.