Gamers, Classicists, PC owners; lend me your ears!
The Steam Summer Sale has started, and it’s a great time to pick up those games you’ve coveted all year long. We thought we’d be extra lovely and put together a quick list of some of the Classics adjacent games that are included in the sale, as well as a wee description of each one.
The sale runs until 13th July at 10am PT, so you’ve got a fair bit of time to grab your new fave game.
Let us know if you pick any of these up, whether we’ve missed any bangers, and what you think of our picks.
This one is a big one, and our George’s personal favourite. Endless quests to explore and people to kill, all while romping through a beautiful reconstruction of Ancient Greece. Usually this one runs for about £50 even now, so this is a pretty solid discount.
A classic Age of Empires game given a bit of an upgrade, Age of Mythology remains one of the most impressive real time strategy games. Not only can you control mythological creatures, heroes, and Gods, but you learn a lot about them as you play, so this counts as doing your homework.
Another strategy game (you can see the preferences of our staff shining through here), and one that puts you in charge of vast Roman armies with a figure of legendary status at the helm. Choose from Marc Anthony, Pompey, Octavian, Lepidus, and more – this edition of the game includes all the Imperator Augustus DLC and all the free updates to date, so you’ll have endless campaigns to battle through.
A controversial addition to the list because we all know Atlantis Wasn’t A Thing, but this game creates a “what if” version of the mythical island, and crams it full of gorgeous Classical imagery and scenery. A detailed puzzle game with lots to explore, it has you figuring out secrets both past and present.
This ridiculously in-depth city builder is perfect for Ancient Egypt stans, allowing you to build everything from grand monuments to residential areas. You’ll also have to keep an eye on the state of the Nile, incoming predators looking to decimate your farms, and the overall health and wellbeing of your citizens. It’s basically Sim City for Classics enthusiasts.
A small game, but perfect at this price, Story of a Gladiator is an arcade-style beat-em-up where you play a Gladiator in the arena. You’ll fight foes both human and animal, sometimes many at once, and will earn money and fame until you’re ready for your big Colosseum break.
Manage your own team of chariot racers in the Ancient Roman circus, upgrading them as you go and proving your skill in the arena. Qvadriga is a fun management sim with racing elements, where the developers have clearly had a lot of fun crafting a semi-historically accurate vibe. You’ll be able to race in all manner of circus style, from the classic Greek hippodrome to the standard Roman setup.
If you like beautiful games, you can’t really beat Apotheon, designed to mimic Ancient Greek pottery in all its vibrant glory. Not that you’ll have too much time to admire the scenery – this fast-paced action game has you ascending Mount Olympus to wrestle divine powers from the Gods themselves. Good luck with that.
Right, if you haven’t played Hades yet, what have you been doing? It’s been all anyone can talk about for a good few years now, and won Game of the Year from about a million different magazines, so it’s a bit of a steal at half price. A classic hack-and-slash dungeon crawler in many ways, but also uniquely set up for replayability and life-after-death, you’ll get your fill of mythology and magic along the way.
Yes, it’s similar to Total War: Rome 2, but it is quite a different game experience. You don’t get to fight the battles yourself, but a) this is a GORGEOUS video game, and b) it really pushes the dynastic/internecine-skullduggery among the usual conquest and construction elements. Choosing between TW:R2 and this may come down to the toss of a sestertius, but either way you win!