Maybe this will be easier if I list what I already have.

I currently own:

System Shock 2
Super Meat Boy
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition
Portal

I really like platformers and shooters honestly.

On the suggestions:

I won't use a simulation game. I just buy it and it will sit there and that's that. So Goat Simulator, Reus, etc are just games I don't buy because I won't play them.

Kerble Space Program is too expensive. Same with Sir, You are Being Hunted.

And I personally have already tried the Shadowrun series. I didn't really like it.

Along with your budget since Sir, You are Being Hunted and KSP are too expensive.

Basically my budget is 10 or less per game.

Saints Row Franchise Pack is on sale!

Random games I recommend on Steam (and probably on other platforms):

Deadlight ($15) - Side-scrolling adventure game with simple mechanics and a fairly interactive world. The setting is detailed and thematic, and the story is simple but engaging. Not an incredibly long play, but a different kind of zombie game. Much more story driven than the usual shooter.

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit ($15) - Another side-scroller in the style of Sonic. This is game is silly, a little out there and certainly fun to play. All in all, not a long game, but enjoyable. The mechanics and weapons are fairly simple and easy to grasp.

Bastion ($15) - Easily one of the best RPGs for the cost out there. The audio may just be the best of any recent game, combing voice acting and music into a true experience. The game play is decent, but the story and audio really steal the scene.

~SE++

The Binding of Isaac.

So is there an NGA steam group?

So I just want to pool reactions.

What do you guys think of using cheat codes to earn steam achievements? Assuming the developer intentionally put them in the game and intentionally let you unlock steam achievements while using them.

This could totally be a thing.

Depends on the achievement and the cheat. I'd have to go on a case-by-case basis.


It is so viably a thing that I came here mostly to establish whether it was already a thing or merely needed to be a thing.

@tpw, What single player steam achievements would you be against using cheats to get?

Between psn and steam I think I can name at least one case for most of what I can personally think of, and I have no problem with it if its cheat codes that the developer programmed into the game.

Keep in mind, I am talking about something the developer put in the game themselves, like the konami code.

@mjack: Well, if for example you needed to complete a level in 5 minutes to earn an achievement. If that is doable without cheats, but a little difficult that would be a good argument against allowing cheating, especially if the cheat would allow you to easily complete the level in 1 minute.
Mostly I guess it depends on whether the specific challenge was built with the cheat code in mind.

What about beating the game on X difficulty?

From what I can tell, there are two main schools of thought with a few smaller groups outside of those.

1. The people who made the game put it in, so it's okay.

2. It's not okay in the vast majority of cases where anything involving difficulty level is considered.

I would join..once i download steam again...

I don't care about achievements but I have cheated to complete games or just to experiment with ridiculous rules or builds or whatever. Being all powerful is too fun.

My general thoughts on cheating for achievements is this: They're called achievements for a reason. If you don't want to put the work into getting them, then don't do it, but toting around an achievement you didn't earn is pathetic.

~SE++

K.

In case anyone cares, the topic came up because me and a friend were discussing Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Editon's achievement list.

It's basically,

7 achievements for beating each episode on any difficulty
get 1000 single player kills

find 70 secrets
find 3 specific secrets
beat level 1 in 3 minutes

use a cheat once

get 500 kills in multiplayer

Me and him have been screwing around with the in game cheats, because honestly its fun to mess around with that stuff, but there's not really any way to avoid doing at least the first two things on the list at the same time. Now we have not been going after them directly, we've just been messing around with things like the konami code for fun and gotten a few of them incidentally.

That led to this debate and me asking the question.

The Particular cheat in question is DNScottyXYZ, which is basically a level select. We also used DNWeapons to not....... immediately die. We've both played the game before elsewhere, so we've been skipping around to our favorite levels. However, beating the last level of an episode, which unfortunately is pretty much every worthwhile boss in single player, caused the aforementioned debate.

Then... I think the developer is stupid?

That is my personal stance. That or they don't care.

Achievements are a poor way to get replayability in video games. BUT steam gives programmers an extremely easy way to add them into your game so I can't really complain much.