Best Steam Exclusive Video Games

Steam is the go-to platform for many PC gamers, and for good reason. It works well, has lots of good sales and a huge range of titles from AAA games to indie bangers. There are also a bunch 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 in your library during a sale. Many of them are Valve games, but we'll leave it at that Half-Life 1 to get a PS2 port and Half-Life 2 specifically to be included in the special Orange Box and thus be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, technically still very much playable on those consoles.

Garry's Mod

The sandbox that spawned several iconic games

Valve's physics sandbox Garry's Mod is among the most influential games on Steam. It spawned some 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 around with different assets.

You can even spawn in NPCs if you want and throw items around to see what happens. The main draw, however, is all the user-generated content, which serves as an endless source of entertainment. Who remembers the good old days when YouTubers played Prop Hunt on cooldowns? I do!

Aperture Desk Job

A special portal treat for steam deck enthusiasts

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

It is actually based on the world of the world Portal franchise. You progress through your work day, along with the iconic humor made famous by many other Valve titles. It feels more like a demo for Steam Deck, but given that it's completely free, it's definitely worth trying at least once.

Cruelty Squad

A punch of color and ferocity right on your retina

Speaking of climbing corporate ladders, Cruelty Squad. You are a member of this group in this rather light FPS game with a retro look that puts you in action-packed and visually busy levels filled with enemies.

Your job is to make your company proud by descending into what the developers call a “junk world”, but it won't be easy. If you're into immersive sims, you'll definitely see appeal here, with some callbacks to games like 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 also serves as a lovely callback to many old-school first-person shooters.

DOTA 2

A sequel to the iconic MOBA that started it all

The original Defense of the Ancients courage for Warcraft 3 blew people away and eventually led to the masterpiece of a MOBA that DOTA 2 is today. Regardless of whether you are more of one League of Legends person, you can't deny the cultural impact DOTA 2 has had over the years, even inspiring its own song from Basshunter.

The esports scene is huge, and given that it's free to play, with every single hero available to you from the start, it's easy to see why some people might choose that over the restrictions League of Legends introduces, though some argue its learning curve is more punishing and matches are slower paced.

Team Fortress 2

A hero shooter that remains a banger years after

Another incredible free-to-play treat from Valve, Team Fortress 2 is a must try for anyone who has spent any time enjoying hero shooters in the last ten years or so. Overwatch, Marvel Rivalsand Valorant all stand on a solid foundation undoubtedly laid Team Fortress 2 and its predecessor first.

It has a much smaller roster, but each class actually feels very distinct, and the matches are a nice callback to those chaotic early days Monitoring when no one knew exactly how to play the game. If you miss it, play it here. It is still a masterpiece.

Counter-Strike 2

The latest version of the iconic tactical shooter

The Counter-Strike series is a mainstay of the video game industry, especially on the competitive multiplayer side. The tactical shooter has evolved into an art form over the years after first being released as one Half-life mod, with a robust esports site 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 followed in those footsteps, without complicating things. It delivers exactly what CS: GO did, but updates everything from graphics to 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 presentation of VR mechanics and details

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

But its highlight? The absolutely stunning graphics, sound design and atmosphere. This is basically the gold standard for all things VR, combining both quality storytelling and awesome gameplay in one package, and it's something we need more of on the VR side of gaming in general.

Project Zomboid

A highly detailed Retro Zombie Survival game

Outside of Valve games are one of the mainstays of Steam Project Zomboid. This banger of a zombie survival game has been in development for over ten years, but has managed to capture the hearts and minds of many survival game enthusiasts.

It's a massive open world environment with detailed survival features from thirst to boredom, and it's truly a challenge unlike any other game – well, except maybe Cataclysm: Dark Days Aheadbut if you prefer your zombie games with a bit 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

Well, here we are. It wouldn't be a list of the best Steam exclusives without mentioning it Half-lifeone of the finest FPS horror games out there that tells the story of Gordon Freeman and a science experiment gone horribly awry. It was a phenomenon that defined an entire generation and created the myth of Half-Life 3 (which may not be so much of a myth anymore).

Since it got a PS2 console port, it's technically not a Steam exclusive, which is why we have to discuss Black Mesathe fan project that brought the first game up to date by refreshing its graphics. Whichever experience you jump into, you'll have an unforgettable time, and a true throwback to a time when games needed to be good out of the box.