As the end of the year is right around the corner, most students’ minds have turned towards how they are going to spend their leisurely summers. Plenty of boys and girls use this extra time away from school to play video games for entertainment. However, as any good gamer knows, good games aren’t cheap.

An online video game service called Steam has proposed to make it easier and cheaper for gamers to purchase high-quality games over the summer so that gamers who are in the loop can buy everything they need for both a long and satisfying summer (and a nice relaxing winter break). Steam’s amazing deals have become a main stream feature in gaming culture. The revenue made from Steam’s sales is so massive that competitors such as Amazon are known to often lower their prices in an attempt to steal back customers.

Though this process seems simple for any gamer who has been in the community for a few years, it’s a baffling headache for newcomers. Where do I find the sales? What should I buy? When should I buy it? Here are some tips and tricks for all gamers, new or old, that can help you make the most of Steam’s sales:

1. This one is only for the newcomers: Create a Steam account. This account will give you access to a variety of possible games that you can buy. As you make your purchases, they will be stored in your library and can be played later.
2. Never buy on the first day of the sales. While it may seem that 20 percent off is a good deal, the prices almost always fall even more on the last day. Getting 20 percent off a game on the first day is good, but getting 60 percent off on the last day is even better. Save all buying until the last day.
3. The one exception to Rule 2 is during hourly bargains. There are things called “Flash Sales” and “Daily Bargains” where certain games are sold at a special price. You can monitor these bargains on the home page, where new offers begin every few hours. If you see something you want that’s on sale for only a few hours, buy it then, as that is the cheapest the game will go for. It is important to monitor the bargains, as they only last for very short periods of time, and they are the best possible deals that can be found.
4. If there are certain games you have your eye on, add them to your wish list, and enable email alerts. This will allow you to track your most desired items throughout the sale, so you can buy low.
5. Before purchasing games, check for the prices offered on both Amazon and EBay. As previously mentioned, competing businesses will often try to beat Steam by offering even lower prices for popular titles. Checking different places isn’t as important as the previously mentioned steps; however, it can still save you a couple bucks when buying.
6. Read the reviews before buying! This is just a general rule for gaming in general, but if the item you want has more bad comments than good, then it’s probably wise to choose something different to buy.