Wait for the next big Steam sale and go wild.
this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
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Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ
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If you really want to stretch that gift card check out isthereanydeals which will show you the lowest historical price of games and then wait for a sale since you'll have an idea of what a good sales price is. You don't need to spend the 20 bucks right away. It can buy multiple indie titles or old triple a games during sales.
If you bought a Steam Deck, would you actually use it?
I know a few people who bought one and it's just collecting dust on a shelf or in a box somewhere.
I would buy a copy of a game you pirated but liked very much, just as a way of giving thanks
Sometimes it's more convenient to have games on steam if you like their workshop content or they are still receiving significant updates. 
There are many independent small indie games, many DRM free, for less than $20 on steam. What kind of games do you play if any?
I really like games with replayiblity such as roguelikes, open world rpgs like skyrim for example, but i have so many hard roguelikes that ive grown sorta sick of them and i can never usually beat them.
Im trying to explore more types of games but havent really done so.
Have a look at Factorio. It's DRM free and you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of hours on it if you like it. Try the free demo first. Also keep in mind that it's never on sale (or always, depends how you look at it). Be warned though, it's very addictive.
Here we see, another innocent victim being drawn into the addictive clutches of Cracktorio. The factory must grow.
Balatro
Possibly unpopular opinion, but the black deck basically ruins this game. I was obsessed before black deck, and to be sure continued playing for a while afterwards. But the black deck was so miserable that I realized it wasn't even fun. It made me feel like if I had any self respect I'd call LocalThunk's bluff and quit playing. But I didn't. Loss after loss I continued to debase myself and continue grinding, waiting for essentially pure luck to release me and allow me to have fun again. But I never regained my enthusiasm.
Yeah, that and blue stake are going to be reworked in the upcoming content update, so even LocalThunk agrees with you. I basically did the same thing, just rerolled until I got an investment tag in the first ante and tried my luck from there, but I did all my gold stakes in order so there was still plenty of fun to be had afterwards! And then I worked on getting naneinf, then played some multiplayer after that!
I like Lobotomy Corporation. It is basically a SCP-roguelike, where you manage a facility full of monsters. A 100% playthrough will take over 150 hours, probably closer to 300. It is a difficult game that demands your full attention, else you will hear trumpets.
There's also games without DRM on Steam if you'd rather not spend more that what's been gifted. As Steam itself doesn't track those, there's those two wikis keep track of it if you want:
https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_big_list_of_DRM-free_games_on_Steam
The next Steam Sale is supposed to start December 12, so I'd browse around for any games that look interesting to you, add them to the wishlist and wait until the sale to make the most of your money.
If looking specifically thru the Piracy angle, maybe a game that you want to play but hasn't been cracked yet, or one you want to play the Multiplayer
I don't think it really goes here, but here's my advice lol:
Unless you really need steam hardware (the steam deck is amazing for commuters, for example), you probably don't need to buy it. That being said, they are fun to use, so feel free if you'd like to.
You can also get some games that are difficult to play pirated during a steam sale (mainly live service games, I believe). Just wishlist and wait.
I agree, don't feel pressured to buy what you don't need, don't want, or can't readily afford.
Another option is you could buy from one of your favorite developers. There are a handful of games that I've purchased (sometimes for friends) simply because I've liked their game.
There are lists of DRM-free games you could get if you're concerned about Steam's platform or want to run them independent of platforms. Here's one such list from PCGamingWiki.com
Thanks you for the info! also i will leave this here for now because idk where else it goes or if it should be taken down?
I don't think the admins mind, so you can just leave the post here. For future reference, head to somewhere like the steam, steamdeck, or steamdeck piracy communities.
If you want a steam deck, get a steam deck.
It's harder to run non steam games on it though.
But it's taken over my pc in terms of usage.
(Edit: I also sprang for the dock. It's been my living room machine ever since i got it)
I wouldn't say harder just different. There's alot of tutorials on how to install them. Plus you got launchers that will add your non steam stuff to steam.
I really like the game Necesse. It's 17 euros I think. Schedule 1 is also nice. Also other small indie games are nice. They deserve our money. AAA games are fucked, they deserve to be pirated. Getting a steam deck with a 20 euro gift card is weird, as it's much more than that. Is go for a nice indie game with very or overwhelmingly positive review. And check YouTube reviews/gameplay to check if it's something you'd like.
I would wait for a sale and then put that money into indie titles you are interested in
Holiday sale starts Dec 18th
Steam as soms sales so...
I understand your point and there are many reasons why people pirate stuff.
If possible I would spend it on a game or software if you like.
May I suggest games that can be played offline like indie titles if your into them.
Not an indie but still great: Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition it's 20 euros and when at a discount drops till 3 euros.
I play on Linux myself work great and if your not into those online games with anti-cheats you can consider buying a steam deck.
Buy Kitsune Tails to help out the creator.
Welcome to Lemmy!
What do you play?
I ask because the games you play may not run well on the Steam deck, and if you don't play enough on Steam, you may not want a deck to begin with.
If you're mainly a console gamer and have an OK PC, you may wanna redeem the card and pick up a game or two that work on your PC.
It should also be noted the Winter sale is in approximately two weeks, so whatever you decide to do, I'd suggest holding onto the $20 until then.
Happy birthday!
Thank you it was on the 3rd.
Put the money towards some purpose that you think could really benefit from it. Giving it to ubisoft or silksong is, comparatively, useless. Giving it to a true indie dev that hasn't hit success, and giving a thorough review, could actually make a big difference.
Kerbal Space Program, the best game, is on sale for five dollars right now, and has no DRM.
I'll trade it for money