Debuting in February 2022, Valve's Steam Deck has been around for a couple of years by this point. While hitting a few bumps along the road, the handheld system has generally been a resounding success and helped usher in a new era of portable PCs. Despite some competitors offering legitimate alternatives, the Steam Deck is still the most popular and definitive option for any PC gamer who wants to access their libraries on the go. Not every title is compatible with the platform, but the best games on Steam Deck are also some of the greatest projects of the last few years.
Currently, Valve is selling multiple tiers of the Steam Deck. There are three main models: 256GB LCD, 512GB OLED, and 1TB OLED. However, the 64GB and 512GB LCD versions can be purchased while their stocks last. Valve has even started selling refurbished Decks, although they are frequently out of stock. After picking up a console, players might wish to read a breakdown of the best Steam Deck Verified games. The selection is updated monthly.
Steam Decks can be purchased via Valve's store. Also, make sure to double-check a game's Steam profile to see if it is Verified for the Deck. Protondb is also a great resource for checking a game's Steam Deck performance.
Updated on January 24, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Steam Deck games are always being announced. For example, FF7 Rebirth debuted with the Verified on Deck label, and the upcoming Civilization 7 has already confirmed that it will work on Valve's console. Furthermore, a Metroidvania that recently came out of early access is viable on the Steam Deck. Click below to jump to this title.
1 Left 4 Dead 2
Steam User Rating: 97%
OK, Left 4 Dead 2 is just a placeholder for every Deck Verified Valve game. There is a reason these titles continue to rank among Steam's most active titles; they are timeless. Outside purely multiplayer games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike, which are not Deck Verified, Left 4 Dead 2 is arguably Valve's most replayable game since there is never a bad time for a group of friends to get together and blast a few hundred zombies in the face. Many projects have tried to replicate the Left 4 Dead formula, but none have come close to matching the excellence of Valve's second entry in the series.
2 Elden Ring
Steam User Rating: 92%
Released very close to the Steam Deck's debut, Elden Ring was something of a test of the portable system's potential. Could Valve's platform handle a massive open-world game? Thankfully, the answer was yes.
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Among the best games of 2022, Elden Ring implements the Dark Souls formula into a sandbox environment that generally allows players to go wherever they please. The Lands Between is stuffed with content, both compulsory and optional, and the base game can readily keep a player engaged for 100+ hours. Build variety, epic boss fights, PvP, and lore depth are just a couple of Elden Ring's strengths, and they are just the tip of the iceberg.
3 Baldur's Gate 3
Steam User Rating: 96%
Considering Baldur's Gate 3's full debut attracted a peak Steam player count of more than 800,000 users, it is safe to say that the game's stint in early access paid off. Due to the success of its Divinity series, Larian Studios is nowadays well-established as perhaps the greatest modern developer specializing in the tactical RPG genre, making the company the perfect pick to revisit one of the most decorated IPs in gaming history. Putting aside the spin-offs, Baldur's Gate's main projects are synonymous with excellence, so any new entry would be automatically compared to some of the best RPGs of all time. In the future, games in the genre will be compared to Baldur's Gate 3, which has set the bar so high that it might be the standard-bearer for decades.
Larian has crafted a dense RPG filled with humor, drama, and player-driven choices. Right out of the gate, the game hits a home run with its character creator, which not only offers impressive depth but also influences the gameplay and world. The party-based combat system is fairly slow-paced since it focuses on planning and strategy over action or reflexes, and battles can get brutal quickly. Anyone familiar with grid-based tactical RPGs should feel at home, but newcomers to the genre might need a few hours to adapt to its rhythm.
4 Hades
Steam User Rating: 98%
Roguelikes and roguelites have exploded in popularity over the last decade, developing into one of the most popular genres in gaming, particularly the indie scene. While far from the first of its type, Hades is undeniably among the most successful roguelites of all time, primarily thanks to its addictive combat and clever blend of story and gameplay.
Dying and starting from scratch is central to roguelites, but Hades shakes things up by justifying this mechanic through its narrative (which involves the son of Hades repeatedly trying to escape hell). Regardless of whether someone is a roguelike/lite veteran or new to the genre, they should check out Supergiant's 2020 masterpiece.
Hades 2 is also Verified for the Steam Deck, but it is still in early access.
5 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
Steam User Rating: 95%
Initially a Switch exclusive, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is now available on all platforms, including the Steam Deck. Vengeance is, essentially, the definitive version of SMT5, delivering the original campaign alongside a brand-new alternative route that changes the story's back half considerably, which was one of the original iteration's main criticisms. Vengeance elevates what was already a fantastic and long JRPG, arguably delivering an even more complete upgrade than Persona 5 Royal.
As the series is not exactly known for PC releases, SMT 5: Vengeance might be a lot of people's first foray into Atlus' mainline series. While the battle system is somewhat similar to Persona, SMT is far harder and way more prominent. In fact, combat and the mechanics surrounding it are the main focus of the game, with the story and characters taking a backseat.
6 Dave The Diver
Steam User Rating: 97%
Great sushi requires a lot of hard work. Dave the Diver is a sim about running a restaurant. Also, Dave the Diver is an exploration game revolving around an ever-changing underwater paradise that is home to quite a few majestic and massive creatures. Basically, Dave the Diver wears a lot of hats, and they nearly all fit like a glove.
Mintrocket's project strikes a fun balance between open-ended dives into known but uncharted waters and a satisfying management game. Although they do not share all that much in common, these mechanics are complementary, with one side directly feeding into the other. Dave the Diver combines great gameplay with gorgeous visuals, a charming sense of humor, and a story that has more depth than meets the eye.
7 The Planet Crafter
Steam User Rating: 96%
In 2021, Miju Games released a free prologue for The Planet Crafter, granting players interested in the survival genre an opportunity to test out the upcoming project. While it took more than a year to materialize, the full game launched in April 2024, landing to a generally positive reception. Even though they are gradually becoming more commonplace, survival open-world games are still niche, and The Planet Crafter is a fairly small release in the grand scheme of things. However, Migu built a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and shows enough ambition without pushing itself too far.
The Planet Crafter: Complete Map and Biomes Guide
You can find plenty of amazing views and hidden treasures in The Planet Crafter, but it helps to know where everything is (and how to get there).
Dropped onto an inhospitable planet and tasked with terraforming it into a potential home for humans, The Planet Crafter delivers an addictive sense of progression as players gradually transform a deserted wasteland into a lively and vibrant paradise. Even during the early hours when the focus is primarily on meeting the protagonist's physical needs and building a basic base, players should still feel like they are constantly working towards a tangible goal, creating a satisfying loop.
8 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Steam User Rating: 91%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise is widely compatible with the Steam Deck, with most of the entries being verified. The license's commitment to Valve's handheld was once again made evident when Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ran well on the Deck at launch. By far the biggest (and longest) entry in the series, the 8th mainline entry is a tour-de-force that delivers quantity and quality. While the project garnered some criticism due to its DLC practices, there is no denying that the actual content is top-notch. Once again, Ichiban takes center stage as the protagonist, although this time he is accompanied by the returning Kazuma; more importantly, the story leaves Japan and heads to Hawaii, a change that makes the whole experience feel incredibly fresh.
Even if someone focuses solely on the game's main campaign, they are looking at about 50+ hours of gameplay, and that scenario is unlikely to transpire due to Infinite Wealth's fantastic substories and mini-games. The turn-based combat is not too far removed from Yakuza: Like a Dragon's system, but it is fine-tuned to create a more enjoyable and satisfying package. The same can be said for the Jobs systems, which adds plenty of build variety and customization options.
9 Balatro
Steam User Rating: 97%
- Released
- February 20, 2024
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
Roguelikes are a dime-a-dozen, and deck-builders are not rare either. Consequently, a project that falls into both categories needs to be something special if it wants to stand out from a crowd that has produced plenty of great releases over the decades. Balatro deserves to sit alongside the likes of Slay the Spire as an example of a roguelike deck-builder done to absolute perfection. Inspired by Poker, LocalThunk's game presents a fantastic and accessible twist on the casino classic, delivering an experience that is immediately satisfying while also offering a gratifying sense of progression.
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Balatro is a truly unique deckbuilder. That said, those looking for a similar experience have several options available to them.
Split into Blinds and Antes, players must put together a round-winning hand, which generally means achieving one of Poker's standard lineups. The core gameplay is straightforward, but it is complemented by a plethora of special cards that enhance a player's hand. Whether talking about Jokers or Tarots, these cards significantly open up the possibilities, allowing for a massive array of potential loadouts. They transform would could have been a fun but short-lived game into something that is very replayable.
10 Animal Well
Steam User Rating: 96%
The Steam Deck's key selling point is that it allows AAA games like Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, and Street Fighter 6 to be played on the go. That is something that classic handheld consoles were never able to offer, and even the Switch is fairly limited in what projects it can run. However, as exciting as holding Cyberpunk 2077 in your hands is, the Steam Deck is arguably even better as a platform for playing smaller-scale indie adventures.
Garnering near-universal praise, Animal Well is a Metroidvania with an eye-catching presentation and brain-teasing puzzles that generally fall on the side of difficult but satisfying rather than just frustrating. Focusing on platforming rather than combat, Shared Memory's project builds an incredible atmosphere through its surreal pixel art, lending an otherworldly tone to the campaign. Be it during boss fights or just in standard rooms, the puzzles make frequent clever use of enemies, switches, and items.