This list doesn’t just pick the best-rated titles on Steam. We also considered how well a game works with a controller, how easy it is to play on a small screen, and how quickly the game might drain the battery. Here are the best games for Steam Deck. The game’s polish enhances the excellent core gameplay. Hades is an achingly beautiful game, especially in motion, and a top-notch soundtrack supports the visuals. The story is bolstered by excellent voice acting. It’s a difficult game, though difficulty settings are available for less experienced players. It’s also a bit repetitive, as the game unfolds over multiple attempts to escape Hades. The developer, Supergiant, designed Hades for every gaming device under the sun, so it controls well on any console, including the Steam Deck. It’s not a graphically demanding game, either, so it won’t chew up your battery. Publisher: Supergiant Games︱Developer: Supergiant Games︱ESRB Rating: Teen︱Install Size: 15-20GB︱Genre: Action-RPG︱Release Date: September 17, 2020 A love letter to Nintendo’s Paper Mario franchise, Bug Fables mashes traditional turn-based RPG combat with a variety of timing-based attacks. This keeps the deliberate pace of a turn-based RPG but adds more active, engaging combat than most games in this genre. As its graphical style hints, Bug Fables is a family-friendly game that doesn’t delve into mature concepts. Still, it has a fun story, comical characters, charming music, and clever writing. This game has something for everyone. Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment︱Developer: Moonsprout Games︱ESRB Rating: Everyone︱Install Size: 300MB︱Genre: Turn-based RPG︱Release Date: November 21, 2019 Celeste is a challenging game, but the game’s rapid pace makes each death feel less punishing. Don’t want the grind? You can dig into the game’s accessibility options and tune it to your preference. The game’s graphics may seem basic, but the story is deep, personal, and more impactful than most games several times its length. Indeed, length is the game’s only downside. You’ll be craving more when it’s over. Publisher: Extremely OK Games, Ltd︱Developer: Matt Makes Games, Inc︱ESRB Rating: Everyone 10︱Install Size: 1.2GB︱Genre: Platformer, Adventure︱Release Date: January 25, 2018 Civilization VI has received numerous updates, and two big expansion packs, since its release in 2016. It’s packed with features, improvements, and balance changes that refine the experience. New players can turn down the difficulty and have fun, but veterans can spend hours fretting over the precise placement of cities and improvements. In partnership with Aspyr, Firaxis Games has made Civilization VI a Linux native game, and the turn-based pace makes it easy to play on the go. You can put the game down at any time and fire it back up at a moment’s notice. Publisher: Aspyr︱Developer: Firaxis Games︱ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+︱Install Size: 15GB︱Genre: Turn-based strategy︱Release Date: October 20, 2016 This game is another Linux native title, which means it will play with zero issues on Steam Deck. The stylized 3D graphics aren’t demanding, either, so the title is fairly light on battery use and feels smooth. Unfortunately, SUPERHOT’s campaign is rather short, lasting just three hours for most players. Extra modes add variety and challenge for those who find the gameplay addictive. Players who want more can check out the sequel, SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete, which is also a Linux native title. Publisher: SUPERHOT Team︱Developer: SUPERHOT Team︱ESRB Rating: Teen︱Install Size: 4GB︱Genre: First-person shooter︱Release Date: February 25, 2016 The game’s relaxing pace doesn’t mean it lacks depth. Stardew Valley takes at least 50 hours to reach the “ending,” but for many, this is just one step in their journey. Dedicated players can spend over a hundred hours collecting every item and befriending every non-player character (NPC). Stardew Valley’s controls can take some getting used to, especially in gamepad mode (which you’ll likely use on the Steam Deck). Still, its charming graphics and excellent music help set it apart from other chill games. It’s Linux native, too, ensuring smooth and bug-free gameplay. Publisher: ConcernedApe︱Developer: ConcernedApe︱ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+︱Install Size: 500MB︱Genre: Farming simulator︱Release Date: February 26, 2016 Indeed, the game’s baffling concept is its only real downside. The puzzles are hard, and it’s hard to resist the temptation to look up the solutions. The game isn’t hard on the Steam Deck, though. It’s a Linux native game, and the simple 2D graphics will conserve battery life. Publisher: Hempuli Oy︱Developer: Hempuli Oy︱ESRB Rating: Everyone︱Install Size: 200MB︱Genre: Puzzle︱Release Date: March 13, 2019 What makes Inside a horror masterpiece is its use of suspense to drive the game forward. It’s not a difficult game, but the sense of dread can make it feel more tasking than it is. You spend most of the game defenseless with no option but to escape. Inside isn’t demanding on the Steam Deck’s hardware, so it will run smoothly and help squeeze decent life from the battery. The game isn’t fast-paced, but it controls well and is easy to learn. It’s also a short game, lasting four hours at most, and the story leaves much to your imagination. The game’s predecessor, Limbo, offers a similar experience if you want more. Publisher: Playdead︱Developer: Playdead︱ESRB Rating: Mature 17+︱Install Size: 3GB︱Genre: Platformer, Adventure︱Release Date: July 7, 2016 First things first: this game looks great. It’s not realistic, obviously, but the punchy visuals stand out. They make the game easy to play on a small screen. Art of Rally is a Linux native title, too, so it should be a smooth and bug-free experience. The arcade-style structure is easy for new players to dig into, but the game can prove challenging as the levels progress. Rally racing requires split-second decisions, and this game is no different. Like other rally games, Art of Rally is hampered only by focusing on its subject. There are no big races, no head-to-head battles, no destruction derby. It’s all rally, all the time. Publisher: Funselektor Labs︱Developer: Funselektor Labs︱ESRB Rating: Everyone︱Install Size: 6GB︱Genre: Racing︱Release Date: September 23, 2020 First released in 2013, Payday 2 has matured from a tight co-op game into a sprawling entity with tons of maps and modes. At its core, however, it remains unique. As a heist game, you need careful coordination and a hint of stealth to get away with the goods. The game is so focused on heists that it may turn off some players. There’s no single-player campaign and no competitive mode. Payday 2 is not a graphically demanding game, which is good news for the Steam Deck. Players who cap the framerate may see decent battery life. Heists are short, too, making the game ideal for quick sessions. Publisher: Starbreeze Publishing AB︱Developer: Overkill︱ESRB Rating: Mature︱Install Size: 83GB︱Genre: Multiplayer, Action︱Release Date: August 13, 2013
Length
While a video game’s length (or lack of length) isn’t indicative of its quality, how much time you’re willing to spend with it is important. Are you the type of person who loves to get lost in a game world for dozens of hours? Or are you in the mood for a bite-sized experience you can finish in a single evening? Maybe you’re a completionist who likes to find every collectible and complete every side quest before moving on to the next adventure. No matter what type of gamer you are, it helps to know what kind of time commitment a game requires before buying it.
Install Size
The Steam Deck portable gaming console has limited hard drive space; its three models have either 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB solid state drives. Games are getting larger and larger all the time. Bungie’s MMO Destiny 2 requires over 100GB, for example. So keep install sizes and your limited storage in mind when buying a new Steam title. Also, consider expanding the Steam Deck’s storage by adding a high-speed microSD card. That way, you’ll have no problems downloading all the games you want to play.
About Our Trusted Experts
Matthew S. Smith is a technology and game journalist with 15 years of experience reviewing PC and console hardware. His work can be found on PC World, Kotaku, IGN, Wired, and IEEE Spectrum, among others. Matthew was the Computing Editor at Digital Trends from 2014 to 2020.
