This Weekend's PC Game Deals: Steam's Summer Picnic Sale is melting wallets

This Weekend's PC Game Deals is a roundup of games - old, new, or soon to be released - that are available at a great price and can be activated on Steam, Origin, or Uplay - sometimes even good old games that are DRM-free.

First, we would like to remind you that if you’re on the lookout for a gaming motherboard or monitor and you also have DOOM (currently $35.99 on Steam) on your wish list, you should know that Asus currently has a promotion where you get a Steam code with the purchase of specific models of its products. The deal is valid in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but bear in mind that it varies a bit from retailer to retailer, so make sure you ask for confirmation before you open up your wallet.

It’s also worth noting that July 11 is the end date for the purchase, and you should redeem the Steam code before July 21. You can find more details about the promotion here.

AAA games with stunning visuals and physics may be all the rage these days, but there are lots of timeless classics that are still worth playing - and thanks to Origin Store’s “On the House” promotion, you can get some of them free of charge. Such is the case with Nox – an RPG from 2000 that is currently available as a free download for a limited time.

Speaking of “on the house” games, Ubisoft has a somewhat similar promotion of their own. Called ‘Ubi 30’, it celebrates the company’s 30^th anniversary as a game publisher, and the way it works is that each month for the rest of 2016, Ubisoft will offer one free game for download, to help gamers “re-discover” legendary titles.

The only things you’ll need are a Uplay account and the Uplay client, and you’re set to get this month’s freebie is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The classic platformer has dated graphics and you’ll have to get used to the tricky controls, but the game has received critical acclaim for its story and setting – it even spawned a movie.

The famous Steam Summer Sale has arrived this week, and it’ll be tempting us until July 4. This time, it’s called the “Summer Picnic Sale” – a nice way of saying that Steam will be eating your barbecue money while you eat their salad of discounted games – the video above is an interesting take as well.

There are no more flash sales, but plenty of AAA titles and indie gems are available at a low price – Fallout 4 can now be had for half of its retail price of $60, BattleBlockBattleBlock Theater is only $3, and This War of Mine is at a record low of $4.75.

Steam may have some pretty good deals right now, but that doesn’t mean they have all the best bargains out there. May our roundup help your wallet and bank account survive in this time of great danger.

If you're interested in console games, you might want to look here for the Xbox Games with Gold for June. Also, if you’re on the lookout to buy an Xbox, the Xbox One can now be had for as little as $279. One of the perks of owning one is that some of the current games, as well as several upcoming titles, will only require you to purchase them once to play them on both your Windows 10 PC and your Xbox One.

We'd like to know: What games are on your wish list, and how much are you willing to spend to get your gaming fix? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.