Steam's big Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale ended only what seems like a week ago, but here they are starting two more weeks of cash saving fun. Only this time, there's a huge opportunity to win free games as well! Introducing the 'Great Steam Treasure Hunt', where every 48 a new set of objectives will release and upon completing enter gamers into a raffle to win their top 5 wishlist games. In addition, at the end of the contest (Dec. 20) three grand prize winners will be awarded 100 games of their choosing. Oh, and also there will be sales that change every 48 hours that correspond to the treasure hunt objectives.In order to win the Grand Prize you'll have to complete 10 objectives between now and the 20th, in addition to logging in on the 20th. 100 games seems like a ridiculous amount. Hopefully they let the winners select Portal 2!

For those hat collectors Team Fortress 2 players out there, Steam didn't forget about you either. Completing 5, 15, and 28 objectives will each unlock news hats: the Bounty Hat, the Treasure Hat and the Hat of Undeniable Wealth respectively.

On to the first set of objectives! There's one objective anyone can complete and the other three require purchase of the games on sale (Ruse, Poker Night at the Inventory and Chime):

  • Self Portrait: Setup an avatar on your Steam Community profile.
  • Got Tanked?: Earn the Desert Fox Steam Achievement in R.U.S.E.
  • Up the Ante: Win The Iron Curtain in Poker Night at the Inventory
  • More Cowbell: Set a leaderboard score of at least 1,124,400 in easy mode for the 'Paul Hartnoll' level in Chime

It's a little bit lame that you can't partake in most of the objectives unless you purchase the game, or have bought it previously. Still, it's hard to be angry at Steam when they're constantly delivering great prices on games new and old. Poker Night at the Inventory was released only weeks ago and is already 40% off. RUSE is a great, but underrated strategy game at a great price. And $1.25 for Chime, well... $1.25 for any game is drool-worthy.

PC gamers rejoice, as there are seven or eight more sales that will open up as we approach the typically enormous Steam Holiday sale around Christmas day. It's good to be a gamer, right Ranters?

Will you be participating in the Great Steam Treasure Hunt? Or at least partaking in the sales? Perhaps you think this is just some over-the-top marketing from Steam? Let us know!

Check out all of the juicy details right here.