Gaming

It is not hugely discounted, but Dave the Diver has been fantastic. Exploration with chill music mixed with running a sushi restaurant

A few to add in:

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Old school D&D and tactics RPG. It’s indie so has rough edges here and there, but it’s so fun, and there aren’t a ton of games that fill the void.

Dungeon of the Endless - It’s a tower defense / tactical game with great pixel art and one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar - Excellent RPG that will remind you of old school Final Fantasy.

Tower of Time - Excellent tactical RPG

Detroit: Become Human - Cinematic narrative game about androids becoming self aware.

The Dark Anthology: Man of Medan - Cinematic narrative horror game, the first in a series of several, therefore if you enjoy there’s a lot more where that came from. (Made by the same studio that created Until Dawn.)

I've already got a Steam Deck and I really enjoy it, but I've been eyeing the Dock for a while too. It's on sale now for even less than the alternative I was considering so I'm probably going to grab one very soon

thought of another: Eastward.

this is a flawed game, make no mistake. the pacing is, at times, abysmal. but man if it didn't punch me in the gut by the end of it.

also I dunno if everhood is on sale but that game is also strange and fun but flawed. perfect games to get on sale imo

Time to shill!

Let's start with Shantae series. They are cute platformers with metroidvania powerups, wonderful art, fun characters, plenty of humor and bopping music. A little on the short and easy side but still offers a good time. Technically none except the latest title are on steam sale (and I haven't played the new one yet) BUT all of the games are on sale on GOG - 50% off too.

• Shantae: Risky's Revenge - second game in the series (first one is a Gamboy Color title despite releasing in 2002). Interconnected world, magical transformations, usually (citation needed) second favorite game in the franchise.
• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - third game in the series, often mentioned as the best one. Interconnected world replaced with level select screen, magic transformations - with pirate gear. Even better music. Also the best soundtrack in my opinion.
• Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - one step forward, one (?) step back. Game replaced it's usual pixel art with controversial at the time, but still pretty nice, 2.5D presentation. Game is... fine, good even. - not as good as two previous titles but it still provides plenty of fun (some people aren't happy with the need to replay levels for 100% completion though). It's also a bit easier and can be completely broken with magic. Gameplay wise we have three different options: magical transformation for the main campaign, pirate gadgets for Risky Boots playthrough and unique powers for Shantae's friends. Unfortunately all the campaigns are played on the same levels as the main one which is... a choice. There's also a "classic" mode which is supposedly more difficult but I didn't have time to try it out yet.
• Shantae and the Seven Sirens - haven't played this one so no idea how good it is. Interconnected world & magic transformations are back. Presentation also returned to pure 2D and is as pretty as ever. This one had a new composer I believe but I don't know how their music compares to Jake Kaufman's work.

Now let's move to the steam sale proper.

• Umihara Kawase [80% off] - another old platformer. This time you play as a young girl wondering through bizarre levels trying to avoid and/or catch various sea creatures (fish, snails, crabs etc). Platforming is primarily done by swinging using a physics based fishing-line. Branching stages, timer for those interested in speed-running and strangely realistic fish sprites... First part of a trilogy.If you decide to try out this one check the sound levels - audio was muted for me by default.
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 [65% off] - turned based JRPG based around gaming industry (main characters are pretty much consoles personified). Lots of nods to various industry events and elements. Not the best game in this genre but personally I found the writing to be fun enough to carry a playthrough.
• Muse Dash [base/"demo": 85%, full unlock: 35% off] - very fun rhythm game with simple controls and lots of music. Base version unlocks ~60 songs, full purchase bumps it up to over 400 (also no further purchase needed, all future updates are included). With regular updates still going it's a pretty ridiculous package.
• Rakuen [50% off] - a bittersweet story about a hospitalized boy and his mom traveling through fantasy land and helping other hospital patients. Great writing, great soundtrack. Well worth it.
• Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale [80% off] - CAPITALISM HO! You're a young girl forced to pay off your father's debt by running a store. Don't let the cute art style fool you, game WILL NOT go easy on you. There are two types of gameplay: running your shop (you get to customize the place, negotiate prices, take orders etc) and dungeons (good way to gather new items to sell). Hard but addictive.

Norco! It’s this post-apocalyptic Southern gothic point and click game. I downloaded the demo and got hooked.

Here are a few that I really enjoy (though their level of "unknown-ness" is debatable):

Mini Metro: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1127500/?snr=1_5_9__205

Demeo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1484280/?snr=1_5_9__205

Evoland: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1020470/?snr=1_5_9__205

just grabbed god of war, disco elysium, and hellblade senuas sacrifice...

as far as recommendations go, Mass Effect legendary edition and dragon age are very enjoyable if you like RPG with a focus on lore, story and characters. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a wonder and a steal at $20. Witcher 3 for $12. Horizon Zero Dawn for $16.50

Wytchwood is a fun crafting adventure game with a lot of fetching. Not too long of a game either and I finished it in a few days.