Steam is an online video game distributor that lets users purchase a wide variety of titles and store their games in a digital library. After making a purchase, gamers can log into their Steam account on a compatible device and start playing. The platform was developed in 2002 and eventually launched in 2003, but it only became popular in 2005 when Steam started allowing more publishers to post titles on the platform.
With over 47 million users each day, Steam has proven to be very popular among gaming communities for years. Interestingly, a lot of titles on Steam only cost about $5 — but that doesn’t mean everything on the platform is cheap! In fact, some games on Steam are so expensive that you could spend less on a high-end gaming console. Seriously.
So, let’s look at eight of the most expensive games on Steam (number one is wild).
- New World
- Dark Souls III
- NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever
- VR-CPR Personal Edition
- Leaping Platform: Adventure!!!
- VRemedies: Radiotherapy Procedure Experience
- Super Fight
- The Ascent: Free-Roaming VR Experience
Developer: Amazon Games
Genre: Action, adventure
Release Date: September 28, 2021
photo source: store.steampowered.com
New World landed on Steam in September 2021. The game is an open-world MMO that lets you explore a supernatural island after a shipwreck, with opportunities to fight, forage, and explore the game’s real-time combat system.
Beta reviewers say the game has great graphics, fun combat sequences, and excellent PvP features. These positive reviews are promising, but the nearly 40 dollar price tag might still be hard to swallow.
Did you know?
New World was scheduled to launch in mid-2020, but after a series of beta tests and user feedback, the game was rescheduled for release in 2021. According to the developers, “This was not an easy decision to make.”
Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
Genre: Adventure, action
Release Date: April 11, 2016
photo source: glitchwave.com
The Dark Souls series is a brutal and gritty action-adventure game that takes players through a world filled with monsters, fantasy realms, and incredible kingdoms.
The game is known for its atmospheric world-building and very difficult challenges that even experienced gamers have trouble passing. Designed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the series was launched in 2009 and has garnered attention for its complex narrative that forces players to carefully explore the game to understand its structure.
Today, the Dark Souls series includes three games. The latest, released in April 2016, goes for $59.99 on Steam.
Did you know?
At the time of its initial release, Dark Souls was a forward-thinking addition to the world of video games. The game was so groundbreaking that people still refer to new titles as “Souls-like” when describing games that match the series’ genre-defying structure.
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Sports, simulation
Release Date: September 4, 2020
photo source: gamestop.com
The first NBA 2K game was released in 1999. Incredibly, despite being over two decades old, the series has remained popular among gamers.
In 2021, the developer released its latest version of the game, MBA 2K21, alongside the special Mamba Forever edition. While the standard release costs about $60 on Steam, the special edition shoots up to nearly $100.
Spending that extra $40 gets players a few perks, including 100,000 Virtual Currency and the Kobe Bryant Digital Collection.
Did you know?
NBA 2K6 was the first in the series to be compatible with Xbox 360. Today, users can play NBA 2K21 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and more.
Developer: Studio Evil, IRC Edu
Genre: Educational, simulator
Release Date: May 6, 2019
photo source: store.steampowered.com
Things start getting strange with VR-CPR Personal Edition. The simulator was designed to provide an “immersive training environment” for healthcare workers and everyday people who need to learn CPR. That sounds pretty useful, but the simulator’s one and only review says otherwise. Apparently, the system won’t let users stop performing CPR once they start.
Strangely, VR-CPR Personal Edition features a price tag of $119.99, which seems like a lot for a simulator like this.
Did you know?
One of the developers behind this simulator has a few other games on Steam, including a sci-fi adventure called Relive… which also involves performing CPR. According to its synopsis, the game’s “main purpose” is increasing awareness and encouraging people to take CPR classes.
Developer: Itaoist
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: July 13, 2018
photo source: store.steampowered.com
The original title of this game is 飞跃跳台: 冒险!!!, but that roughly translates to Leaping Platform: Adventure!!!.
According to the developer, this game was inspired by the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, an award-winning action movie directed by Ang Lee. Strangely, the developer warns users not to expect action-packed adventure despite the game’s inspiration. Instead, users should expect a simple “walking simulator.”
With a price of nearly 150 dollars, this game has received mixed reviews, including one that simply says, “This game makes me want to die.” Another adds, “I do not understand why this game exists.”
Did you know?
Leaping Platform’s developer seems to understand that the game’s price is a little insane. In fact, they offer a free version for users with incomes below $800 a month. It’s unclear how users can verify their income with the developer.
Developer: StaplesVR
Genre: Simulator
Release Date: May 9, 2018
photo source: store.steampowered.com
Up next is another VR simulator. This time, users can experience non-invasive hospital procedures such as CT scans and radiotherapy. According to a video made by StaplesVR, the company behind VRemedies, the simulator was designed so patients can get an idea of what they’ll experience before undergoing a procedure.
At $199.99, this very expensive simulator features robot tour guides that take users through the virtual hospital and walk them through their upcoming appointment. The simulator will also help users prepare by having them lay down and experience a first-person view of hospital equipment.
Did you know?
Beyond its hospital VR options, this simulator’s developer offers a 3D chess game called Four Kings One War that was released in July 2021.
Developer: LGe
Genre: Action, indie
Release Date: March 25, 2020
photo source: store.steampowered.com
Users don’t seem happy with this game — and it’s not hard to see why. At nearly $200, this fight simulator includes only one level and a very simple design (one review even suggests the background is a static JPG image).
Still, the game’s description might sound enticing to some… maybe. According to the developer, Super Fight is a “retro style game” where users can “use fist and leg attack.”
Did you know?
LGe, Super Fight’s developer, hasn’t posted any other games on Steam. If they ever do, it’s hard to tell how the Steam community might react since many gamers don’t like Super Fight. As one review puts it, “[Super Fight is] not even worth downloading for free.”
Developer: Fury Games
Genre: Action, adventure
Release Date: December 27, 2019
photo source: store.steampowered.com
The Ascent: Free-Roaming VR Experience is the most expensive game on Steam.
At a whopping $999, this game is by far the most expensive title available to Steam users. But to be clear, this isn’t Neon Giant’s popular game of the same title. This is Fury Game’s VR experience.
So what do users get from Fury Games? Well, according to the reviews, players get a game that’s “not bad.” Yeah, not very promising.
Still, Fury Games describes The Ascent as a “free-roaming” and “highly immersive” VR experience designed to work with haptic suits, motion floors, and climate controls that mimic the game’s VR environment. Interestingly, the developers don’t provide much detail about the game itself or what VR equipment is compatible with the simulation. Instead, they simply say that gamers can expect to “clear the FuriCorp research facility of its infestation.”
Did you know?
Strangely, Fury Games warns Steam commercial users based in the U.K. and Ireland not to purchase this game via Steam. Instead, people in those regions are asked to go to the company’s website for an unknown reason.
