I was just owning faces as Stalin. I think some of my cities were starving to death, so I was really keeping it historically accurate. At least for a little while. Now I’m just airbombing the shit out of my enemies, while they’re stuck in the 18th century. I have anti-tank units when everyone else only has cavalry. Those horses are going to get decimated. It’s going to be like that climatic charge in The Last Samurai where somehow Tom Cruise is the only dude that lives. Only this time there won’t be a Tom Cruise.

How did it take me so long to play any iteration of Civ? This is best game of all-time territory here. Every game is epic stuff, and the propensity for the each game to unravel completely differently is incredible. There are just so many possibilities with the techs, units, buildings, diplomacy, map types…

I couldn’t even function at work this week because I just wanted to get home to play Civ4. I don’t even know why I bought more games off Steam this week. When am I going to play anything else but Civ4? Maybe Left 4 Dead when I get invited. Maybe Trials 2 because it’s the most masochistic game I have ever played. But Defense Grid and Trackmania? They are just going to sit in my Steam games list, along with the other dozen games I haven’t come close to finishing.

(Yes, those last three games — a total of approximately $40 — can be added to the wallet damage I posted a few days ago.)

This time the damage was $38.97. Civilization IV Complete, Bioshock, and Defcon. Not a bad haul. I already own Bioshock on 360, but FIVE DOLLARS. Only a week ago I bought S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl for $4.99. And I can see myself buying Trackmania United Forever before the Holiday Sale is over.

You should be buying some games too. Steam’s Holiday Sale includes every single game, some over 75% off. Examples include the aforementioned Bioshock for $4.99 and Company of Heroes: Gold for $22.49. A taste of the rest of the sale:

World of Goo – $14.99
Valve Complete Pack – $74.99 (insane value, but everyone on this earth has played most of the games already)
Peggle – $4.99
id Super Pack – $34.99
Far Cry 2 – $37.49
Painkiller – $7.49
Heavy Weapon – $0.99
Fallout 3 – $39.99

Now do your American duty and prop up the economy.