The Steam Deck is changing the way people play games on mobile. Or at least the way people play games from the comfort of their toilet seat. Yes, we’ve had the Nintendo Switch for years, but that console is starting to show signs of aging and people are looking for the next big thing. So the Steam Deck.
There are currently more than 2,000 games featuring the “Great on deck” badge, and that’s a long list of games to work through. Of course, many of these have been ported to other systems, including mobile devices, so we’ve tried to limit this list to games that you can’t easily play portable elsewhere or that will play better here than on other handheld devices.
Remember that the Steam Deck is essentially a Windows PC, so pretty much any game has the potential to run as long as you make enough tweaks to the settings. If making those adjustments doesn’t sound fun to you, consider sticking to the games in this list.
Apex Legends arguably the best battle royale shooter on the market, and it just happens to be free to play. What more can you ask for, really? Apex Legends is a fantastic shooter, and the constant rotation of maps, weapons, and additional game modes keeps the experience fresh every time you log in. Plus, the Switch version of this game is nearly unplayable, so the Steam Deck is easily the best way to play this game portable.
Does this game need an introduction at this point? We have written about Elden Ring expanded, and unless something big shakes up the latter part of this year in terms of game releases, then Elden Ring is the best game of 2022. And if you want to play it portable, you can do it on Steam Deck, with a few sacrifices.
It’s the cat game and one of the few games to challenge Elden Ring‘s game of the year title in 2022. strayed is a short and simple puzzle platformer that does not require intense or precise input, but a simple exploration game where you find items and chat with NPCs to find your way forward. Oh, and it’s super cute, and that helps a lot.
Resident Evil 2 Remake maybe one of the best Resident Evil games ever. Yes, the original was incredible, but this faithful and beautiful remake brings those familiar environments and enemies into the modern age. It looks incredible and honestly plays just as well. Easily one of the best games you can play on any system.
Kratos’ story is no longer so angry and screaming, and suddenly he is a loving father. Or, at least try to be. God of War (2018) completely changes the character of Kratos. He is getting older and is now trying to be a kind of family man and pass on his knowledge and skills to the next generation. If you want to see Kratos in a whole new light, this is the place to do it.
Want to feel like Spider-Man? Well, aside from the teenage awkwardness and undefined body mutations, I’m sure you do. And Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, which is now finally available on PC, is the best way to do that. You can swing through the city streets as Peter Parker and defeat a bunch of classic Marvel villains during the meaty adventure. But that’s all subordinate to that movement system. Swinging has never felt so good.
Like Halo, but do you want a little more excitement? Then you need split gate. split gate really takes the old Halo battle formula but adds portals just like the ones from the game Portal. You can use these portals to aim through enemies and shoot them down, meaning you can create new sightlines just about anywhere and travel through them to surprise enemies. It is awesome.
Metal Gear Solid V contains a story that is completely unfinished, and the bonus DVD that comes with the special edition of the game actually confirms that, even if the game manages to roll the credits three different times. Despite this, it’s on this list, and that’s because it has the stealth action gameplay of a real masterpiece, and no other game plays like it. Definitely worth playing, just don’t expect those expensive cutscenes to lead to anything.
Another Hideo Kojima game, and one that is coming to PC Game Pass, Death Stranding is a brand new take on the stealth action genre, one where you hide from near-invisible ghosts, and the action you encounter will be the terrain itself, and you cross it. Connecting the last remnants of a desolate and devastated America is a tough job, and only Sam Porter Bridges can pull it off. Literally, it’s like fate or something.
Valheim is a survival crafting game where you play as Vikings exploring a strange new world filled with low-poly fantasy creatures. If you take them all down, you will be rewarded with new recipes and materials, which you can use to create the ultimate fortress. That’s the aim of the game in Valheim, keep exploring and building until you can create the ultimate base.
Written by Dave Aubrey on behalf of GLHF.
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