Major developers are increasingly moving away in favor of their proprietary clients. Though Steam is still a strong contender in the digital storefront arena, there are a few signs that the platform is showing its age. There are also frequent sales outside the annual events, and you'll probably find that you can quickly fill your library without emptying your wallet. The best way to get new titles for ridiculous discounts is to wait for a sale and then snag them at prices that dip as low as 80% off.

During these events, this platform puts thousands of titles on sale for steep discounts, which applies to new releases. Another major factor that keeps this platform standing out from the crowd is its epic annual sale events, such as the now-infamous Steam Summer Sale.

Of course, talking about Steam without talking about sales is impossible. If you're looking for something new and unique, take the time to check out the indie library or browse the community boards to hear about upcoming releases from smaller studios. It's easy for independent developers to list their titles on this digital game store, which has given rise to hits like Hollow Knight, Cuphead, and Hotline Miami. Sure, it has the latest titles from the most famous studios, but they also attract smaller indie studios. Perhaps the most significant standout feature is its vast library of indie games. Though it has been around since 2003, it continues to stand out in an increasingly crowded field by making offerings other digital storefronts don’t. At its core, this software is a vast digital game store. Though you can access many of its features in-browser, you can also download and install this software as a standalone client for your desktop if you want to get the most out of it. Available for free online, this can run in your browser window.

This platform has since moved beyond a simple game store to become a one-stop hub for PC gamers. Though most game developers now have their online storefronts, Steam was the platform that started it all.

Steam tell me why download