The Steam Summer Sale started on Thursday last week. Some years I don’t see much that I want, either because the selection isn’t that great or I’m not in a gaming mood, but this year no matter how hard I tried to avert my eyes from the screen I could not avoid the sweet, sweet siren song of cheap games. So many games.

What I have bought so far

The Witcher 2 – I’ve been looking for an RPG to sink my teeth into*, and a number of guildies recommended this. It looks dark and gritty in the preview videos, which I like. A few reviewers complain about the kludgy controls, but I’m sure it’s manageable. However, in retrospect I’m a little disappointed that I bought this. I’m sure it will be a fine game, but it’s too new to have a dramatic price discount. I usually have a rule that I won’t spend more than $15 on a game during a Steam sale, and I should have stuck to it.

* I already had Mass Effect 2, which I’ve started twice now and only gotten maybe a third of the way through. For some reason, I just can’t get into it. I mean, I love my Shephard (her name is January), I like Garrus, I like space adventure, and I know that ME2 is considered one of Bioware’s greatest games, but man.. I just never feel inspired to sit down and play it. Maybe there’s something wrong with me.

KOTOR – The classic! I bought this in part because SW:TOR is around the corner, but mostly because it has a great reputation. KOTOR is pretty old by this point, but I know it was a seminal gaming experience for a number of people. I bought it for $2.49, which is about the same as the cup of coffee I get every day before work. Now that’s value!

Half-Life 2: Episode 1 and Half-Life 2: Episode 2 – I bought Half-Life 2 for $3.50 last year during the summer sale. I have yet to play it, although I did watch someone play through it back in the day so I’m not a complete luddite. However, I will not let a little thing like never playing the original stop me from buying cheap expansion packs! This year I picked up Episodes One and Two for a grand total of $4. One day I might even play them. I know they will be good.

Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition – Finally, a game I have played! In fact, I played it when it first came out. On disc. So yes, I paid $10 to own a digital, Steam-friendly version of DA:O. Don’t judge me! (This set also comes with the expansion and all the DLCs, so it was actually a heck of a deal.) You probably have played this game already, but if you haven’t and you like dense RPGs it is hellaciously good.

What I have not bought so far

Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and Fallout: New Vegas – Ohhh, how I have stared longingly at both of these games on their respective sale days, but I have already bought more games than I will ever, ever play and I am saving the rest of my piggy bank for what I hope will be a great deal on Civilization V.

What I played this weekend

There are so many new games in my Steam library, not to mention the ones I bought in previous sales and Humble Bundle indie games that I have never played. Plus I had a lot of free time this weekend! So what did I end up playing? Team Fortress 2. Which.. I’ve owned for a million years and is free now anyway. Sigh.

(Seriously, y’all, the TF2 servers are packed full of new players who are just begging to be air blasted off a cliff by a pyro wearing a road cone as a hat. Some things are greater than us all!)

So in short: Damn you, Steam and Valve, for putting games on sale for so cheap that I cannot help but buy them, and for making games so good that I cannot stop playing them.