The 15 Finest Steam Deck Video games

4 years after its launch, Valve’s Steam Deck remains to be the most well-liked handheld PC round and for good cause. The transportable gaming gadget is straightforward to make use of, can play most 2D video games you put in on it with ease, handles 3D video games pretty nicely, and might even be modded and tweaked when you so need. It’s a wonderful machine, and in case you are right here, you probably personal one or are about to purchase one and wish some online game suggestions. Fortunately, you’ve come to the proper checklist, my buddy.

Under you’ll discover the 15 finest PC video games to play in your Steam Deck. For this checklist, we tried to incorporate a mixture of “basic” Steam Deck video games—sure, Vampire Survivors is on right here—in addition to some titles that don’t at all times get talked about when speaking in regards to the system. This checklist additionally options some larger video games in addition to experiences that is likely to be good for killing time at a bus cease or a brief practice journey. Lastly, for this checklist, we tried to stay to video games that run nicely on the Deck with out having to make bizarre tweaks or set up mods.

Hopefully, at the very least one in all these video games is what you had been searching for and allows you to take pleasure in your Steam Deck slightly extra.

Vampire Survivors

Any checklist of finest Steam Deck video games is legally obligated to incorporate Vampire Survivors. At this level, Valve ought to simply pay Poncle some sum of money to have Vampire Survivors pre-installed on all Steam Decks. Anyway, yeah, it’s low-cost, enjoyable, runs nice, and is an ideal recreation for the Steam Deck. I’d say play it, however you probably have already got.

Stardew Valley

One other “legally obligated” suggestion, however hey, Stardew Valley is nice, and it runs like a dream on Steam Deck. And if you wish to get wild, not like the Change port of this standard cozy slice of life farming sim, Stardew Valley on Steam Deck could be modded. You don’t want to do this to play it, to be clear, however if you wish to, it’s an possibility on Deck.

Balatro

Okay, final one in all these “legally obligated” entries, however sure, Balatro is an unbelievable recreation. Among the finest video games launched in the previous couple of years. Enjoying this unusual poker rogue-like with weird joker playing cards is a blast no matter the place you play. On Steam Deck, Balatro is a deal with, received’t kill your battery, and takes up little room. A no brainer to toss in your Deck.

Dave the Diver

A number of the finest video games for the Steam Deck are ones constructed round “runs.” Video games constructed like this allow you to hop in for a bit, then put the console to sleep when your bus arrives or your assembly begins. Dave the Diver, being break up into completely different days, makes it one in all these good Steam Deck video games. Additionally serving to is Dave the Diver‘s 2D artwork fashion which the Deck can deal with with out breaking a sweat. It’s by no means been simpler to catch and cook dinner digital fish on the go.

Blue Prince

Somebody instructed me this was their Steam Deck bedtime recreation, and I get it. Slowly exploring a comfy however mysterious mansion that shifts each time you go to and is stuffed with puzzles to unravel is an ideal exercise to interact in for a bit earlier than calling it an evening. Blue Prince‘s 3D visuals don’t push the Steam Deck onerous, and it performs effortlessly on a gamepad, making this a unbelievable option to play one in all 2025’s best-reviewed video games.

Dredge

For these searching for one thing creepy to play on their Steam Deck, however not concerned with a very scary recreation, Dredge is a good possibility. Not solely does Dredge run nicely on the Deck, nevertheless it’s yet one more recreation divided up into days, letting you soar in for a little bit of fishing in its unsettling waters with out making you decide to hours of cutscenes and motion. Excellent for a lunch break run or a fast little bit of recreation time on the bathroom. Look, I’m not right here to guage the place or how you utilize the Deck, okay?

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor

You possibly can most likely replenish a Steam Deck with nothing however a ton of auto-shooter video games that play so much like Vampire Survivors. (In reality, there’s yet another developing on this checklist.) However amongst the various, many video games that adopted in Vampire Survivors‘ wake, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is among the finest. Including sci-fi dwarves and mining and sub-challenges to the system helps elevate this one past a mere clone. It runs nicely on Deck, too, although its 3D visuals will eat up battery quicker than Vampire Survivors.

Hades / Hades 2

At one level, this checklist contained separate entries for Hades and its 2025 sequel. Then the checklist simply had one, however talked about the opposite. Let’s simply save a while and web ink and mix them into one entry. Each Hades video games are impeccably designed motion roguelikes that characteristic sizzling Greek gods, loads of motion, and beautiful visuals that appear like the best animated film ever.  And each Hades and Hades 2 play like a dream on Steam Deck. You actually can’t go fallacious along with your selection.

Sektori

Geometry Wars was a superb recreation. What if somebody made a brand new one? Effectively, they did, and it’s known as Sektori, and it’s superior on any platform you play it on. And that features the Steam Deck, the place Sektori seems and runs flawlessly whereas delivering quick and fluid twin-stick shooter enjoyable. You possibly can’t ask for way more for $15.

Elden Ring

When Elden Ring first arrived again in 2022, the Steam Deck ended up being probably the greatest locations to play FromSoftware’s hit open-world RPG. Flash ahead to at the moment, and it’s nonetheless a rattling high-quality option to take pleasure in Elden Ring. It won’t look as crisp as it can on a PS5 or a high-end PC, and it’ll eat your battery up rapidly, however that’s all value it to have such a unbelievable recreation playable wherever.

Resident Evil 2

A stunning variety of trendy Resident Evil video games run nicely on the Steam Deck, however I nonetheless suppose the remake of Resident Evil 2 is likely to be the very best one to play on Valve’s transportable PC. It’s not too massive, doesn’t push the system too onerous, and is a good installment within the franchise. It won’t be as straightforward to drop out and in of this recreation as others on the checklist, however Resident Evil 2 remains to be an important option to play on the Deck. Simply perhaps depart the lights on?

Huge Hops

Certain, Huge Hops was simply launched in January, however that doesn’t change the truth that this 3D platformer closely impressed by Mario deserves a spot on this checklist. Not solely as a result of it’s a joyful and inventive platformer a couple of frog with a really helpful tongue, but additionally as a result of it seems sharp as heck and runs completely at 60FPS on the Deck. The world wants extra enjoyable 3D platformers, and Huge Hops is right here to reply that decision.

Warframe

For just a few completely different causes, there aren’t many massive live-service on-line video games obtainable for the Steam Deck. So, free-to-play ninja shooter Warframe being totally playable on the gadget may be very cool. Should you’ve at all times needed to slice up robots and aliens whereas working 70MPH in a cyber ninja swimsuit, that is the sport for you. And you are able to do all of that and extra whereas killing time on the airport, assuming you could have a strong wi-fi connection, as Warframe is an online-only recreation.

TMNT Shredder’s Revenge

A 2D pixel artwork brawler is simply in regards to the good online game for the Steam Deck, and TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is among the finest you’ll find on Steam. So in fact we added it to this checklist. And for these of you going “However that is higher with different individuals!” don’t fear. You possibly can simply join a number of gamepads to the Steam Deck and do some transportable brawlin’ with friends wherever you need. Or join your Steam Deck to a TV and revel in probably the greatest TMNT video games ever made.

Megabonk

Vampire Survivors however 3D and weirder is the elevator pitch for Megabonk. And it is likely to be probably the greatest issues to play on a Steam Deck. Even when the hordes of enemies get huge, the sport’s framerate stays regular, and it feels good to play on a gamepad. The world doesn’t want many extra auto-shooters, nevertheless it’s good that we obtained yet another that’s pretty much as good and enjoyable as Megabonk. And it’s simply $10.