With the holidays upon us, it's about the time to treat yourself with distractions from the impending threat of spending time with family and loved ones. Steam has kicked off its annual winter sale, offering discounts on a variety of games through January 3.

The opening volley of sales include discounts on Batman: Arkham Origins, The Stanley Parable, BioShock Infinite, and Metal Gear Rising, among others. It's also offering flash deals every eight hours (currently CS:GO, Divekick, and Typing of the Dead: Overkill), and a Community Choice discount that's up for a vote. Check out the Steam store for a closer look at all the games on sale.