The Talos Principle 2 Drops to Just $3 in the Steam Autumn Sale

Croteam's puzzle sequel The Talos Principle 2 is $3 during the Steam Autumn Sale, a steep discount on a game that many players overlooked when it launched in 2023. It is a calm, approachable first-person puzzler with plenty of content, and it works especially well as something to play while listening to a podcast.

The best way to describe the game's structure is as if Aperture Labs had emptied its warehouse of esoteric gadgets onto the player and asked them to solve increasingly strange spatial problems. You collect and combine tools, line up beams, and work out how a room wants to be solved. The puzzles are smart without being hostile, and there are a lot of them.

That mix of volume and gentleness is what makes it such a good fit for background listening. Nothing in it punishes you for taking your time, and no combat or timer breaks your concentration. You can sit with a tricky layout, let a podcast run, and come back to the solution at your own pace. Few puzzle games match that rhythm as well.

The sequel follows Croteam's original The Talos Principle, a puzzle game with a philosophical streak. Croteam is also known for the Serious Sam series, so the studio's puzzle work is a notable change of pace from its louder shooters. The sequel kept the contemplative tone of the first game while expanding the scale of its puzzle spaces.

Despite that, it was underappreciated at launch. A $3 price tag removes most of the risk for anyone who passed on it the first time, particularly players who enjoy Portal-style spatial reasoning but want something slower and more reflective.

The Steam Autumn Sale price applies for the duration of the event, so anyone interested should check the store page for the current discount before buying.