I'm abandoning the poll because they definitely don't work.

Today's the last day of the "Explorer's Sale." Looking at the two primary deal sections (each labeled with a time limit, one of two days and the other of one,) which game would you recommend most if someone were only to buy one?

Some people have money to burn; others don't. Help out the latter folx.

Note that you don't need to recommend directly to me, though I might follow your advice. I have several of the games listed already!

Also, worth noting that many of yesterday's sales (including Divinity: Original Sin, Dishonored, Far Cry 3, and Saints Row IV) are still going!

I'd probably have to recommend Skyrim or Alien. I really want Alien, but if you don't have Skyrim, you'd be a fool.

Shadowrun Dragonfall Director's Cut is the best game I see on the front page.

Out of all the games that are on sale it has to be Mount & Blade Warband which is basically the best game on Steam.

Also Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon is 4 bucks and is amazing.

Just to note: since this is the last day of the sale, both sets of deals have a time limit of only one day. So anyone who's interested in any of the games on sale needs to act today and not wait until tomorrow.

As for the games, Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut is the only one I'm buying.

I really want Dragonfall and Planetary Annihilation but I have yet to play Shadowrun Returns (which is $1.49 right now!!!) and I've never played a real RTS before. Anyone got anything good to say about those two games?

@blzzzrrttt: Shadowrun is fantastic. It's very different mechanically and mathematically from the games it draws from (Fallout and Baldur's Gate) and that goes a long way in making it a unique and memorable experience. The art is beautiful as well.

Wow. This is maybe the first sale where I've bought absolutely nothing. Feels kinda nice.

Portal 2 is my favourite game on today's deals.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown would be a close second.

The one I recommend the most has to be Crusader Kings II.

I also highly recommend Skyrim, XCOM:EU and Wasteland 2.

I got Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut and Saints Row IV Game of the Century Upgrade Pack.

Thanks to the magic of Steam regional pricing, I managed to get these today for about $8.50. I still may get the Splinter Cell Elite Echelon Bundle if I can find a good trade deal for it. Yesterday I got Payday 2 and all of the DLC for around $13 I think.

I had been staring down dragon fall all sale. Glad I waited so I got an extra 10% off then I would have.

Today's batch is a bit of a stinker, as far as I'm concerned.

Portal 2, Skyrim, and XCOM are all quite good, but man, you really should've already played those by now.

As far as stuff that may or may not be your cup of tea, Crusader Kings II if you're into managing ludicrously complex systems, Alien Isolation if you're into horror, and get Shadowrun Dragonfall or Wasteland 2 if you're into CRPG-style games. The rest I'm not particularly a fan of.

Well today's batch is either really good or really bad.

There are a bunch of really good games, but like @bisonhero pointed out you probably already played most of them

these are all really fantastic buys imo

• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Giant Bomb's GotY 2011)
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Giant Bomb's GotY 2012)
• Tomb Raider
• Portal 2
• Far Cry 3 & Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Very good buys

• Castle Crashers
• Shadowrun: DragonFall Director's Cut
• Wasteland 2

If I had to pick one and only one it would probably be XCOM, but Skyrim is probably the best value as you can play that game for years and never get bored.

just went and bought Shadowrun-Dragonfall, thank you.

I also did okay this sale. Divinity-Original Sin and the Borderlands prequel blah blah, was bought. I also got the Evil Within, and Resident Evil 5. I hope Resident Evil 5 is the one I want. Everything else I own.

I pretty much died seeing the price The Stick of Truth was going for, but I also knew that lesson was coming.

Pretty much everything on my Wishlist is on sale right now. Great time to be broke....