We’re just about to reach the fall season, so what are our favorite games we’ve been playing on the Steam Deck in 2024? There are still a lot of old favorites here, but we’ve also tried to highlight some lesser-known titles you should check out.
We’ve got some new additions, like boomer shooter Turbo Overkill. There’s a little something for everyone here. However, one game has eaten away at all of our time.
Best Steam Deck game of 2024 so far: Balatro
Balatro is one of the most addictive, nefarious pieces of software we’ve ever touched. A simple game, where you use poker hands to reach a certain score in a limited number of hands.
Eventually, you’ll unlock Jokers and other items to alter each run. When you lose, you restart, but it’s fiendishly addictive. Runs can be paused and halted at will, and with the Steam Deck’s sleep function, we’ve rarely had any issues.
As each round increases in intensity and difficulty, the game starts to pop off indescribably. The way the cards and score tick up with increasing velocity all plays into Balatro’s addictive nature.
We’re nearing 100 hours in the game, and Balatro has us by the horns. This game is never getting uninstalled.
Best Steam Deck games to play in 2024
Minishoot’ Adventures
No, we don’t know why there’s an apostrophe in the name, but we do know that Minishoot’ Adventures is an absolute joy. Part twin-stick shooter, part Legend of Zelda, Minishoot’ Adventures feels like the start of something bigger.
You control a little spaceship, which you’ll upgrade by beating various dungeons and other ships around the in-game world. At the start, it can feel like it’s being punishingly unfair, but it quickly becomes apparent that yes, it is.
Much like others in the twin-stick shooter genre, Minishoot’ Adventures will swarm you with clever combat encounters. Eventually, you’ll upgrade your ship to do a lot more in fights too. Exploration feels great, as you glide around the map and investigate little nooks.
Hades 2
Supergiant’s first sequel, Hades 2 takes the original concept and spins it out with new threads. You’ll take the role of Melinoe, sister of the previous game’s protagonist and daughter of the titular Hades.
While still in early access, the game’s moment-to-moment gameplay feels impeccable. It’s a delight on the Steam Deck, getting verified even before a true launch.
Everything is still in a state of flux, but Supergiant knows exactly where they want combat to land. Fast-paced action and exploiting weaknesses are the key here.
The run-based game never makes you feel like a failure either. Evolving conversations, story beats and a steady stream of upgrades mean that you’ll never be left feeling stuck. Each run will net you a new reward in some fashion, including more juicy tidbits from the growing cast of characters.
Dave the Diver
You know, it’s pretty cool that there are two quite relaxing, but suddenly stress-inducing fishing games at the moment. Dave the Diver joins Dredge for last year’s fishing game extravaganza, and it’s fantastic.
You play Dave, a diver, who is roped into helping a fledgling sushi restaurant by catching fish – and also being its waiter. It combines a mixture of exploring the deep for more fish and treasures, along with a funny story to tie it all together. After you’re diving for the day, you’re then thrust into the manic sushi restaurant portion.
Here you will choose the menu, serve customers, and wash dishes. Eventually, you start hiring staff and upgrading just about everything in the game.
It’s the perfect Steam Deck game, with short bursts of the game that can be easily paused, put down, or just for that lunchtime session.
DREDGE
Dredge continues to haunt us with its tales and journeys of the deep. The spooky fishing game is getting its second paid expansion in August. There’s never been a better time to trawl for horrors of the deep.
Set in a rustic fishing village, and its conjoining islands, you’re a fisherman who has found themselves with a broken boat and no money to repair it. As you dash back and forth between searching the depths for treasure, or fish, the Eldritch curse that has taken the land leads into a small mystery.
Eventually, you go from fishing for oceanic life, to braving the dark abyss of night and dredging up old trinkets which a curious researcher wants. What for? Well, you’ll have to find out.
It runs beautifully on the Steam Deck and is really easy to plop down when you’re done with it.
El Paso, Elsewhere
Combine Max Payne with horrors from another world, and you get El Paso, Elsewhere. The game is a joyous mix of old-school third-person shooting with some fancy slow-motion mechanics thrown in.
It’s a wild experience, with a twisted story that plays out throughout various, quick-fire missions. El Paso, Elsewhere also continues Max Payne-esque traditions complete with painkillers and diving to take out the hordes of the undead and mythological.
Backing it all up is an absolute monster of a soundtrack, that kicks in just as you need it. It looks gorgeous on the Steam Deck OLED and continues to invade our little minds.
Path of Exile
Heavily inspired by Diablo 2, Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile is almost too perfect on Steam Deck.
The ultra-fast pace of Path of Exile plays exceptionally well on the Steam Deck’s full control toolset. We thoroughly encourage mapping things to the back paddles.
Dense with complexity, Path of Exile had near zero handholding as you make your way through the game’s ten acts and post-game content. While markedly more complicated than its rival, Diablo 4, it provides exceptional gameplay – especially on a controller.
Our time with Path of Exile on the Steam Deck has seen us slowly move away from the traditional PC setup. Now, we’re chilling on the couch, mowing down legions of enemies in pure comfort.
Path of Exile is available for free on Steam.
Turbo Overkill
An intense boomer shooter, Turbo Overkill wears its retro-inspirations on its sleeve.
The game emphasizes constant movement and an “always be fighting” mentality. While it might look like it’s a bog-standard retro throwback, Turbo Overkill just goes all in on the shtick.
Movement and shooting feel like they just fell right out of the 1990s. However, the way it controls and design decisions made during the game elevates it beyond the sum of its parts.
Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip
Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip is a short, incredibly funny journey to get Tiny Terry into space. A laid-back, almost Simpsons Hit and Run feeling is Tiny Terry’s M.O. here. You’ll wander the city, drive a little car and eventually upgrade it by doing jobs for “friends”.
It’s the perfect afternoon trip to sink back into the chair and play something mindless for a while. Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip is a wonderful injection shot of fun for the Steam Deck and is great for kids too.
Android Assault Cactus
Android Assault Cactus is a sublime twin-stick shooter from 2015. It plays beautifully on the Steam Deck, with impressive performance across the board.
It’s the perfect mix of chaos and testing your skill. The game doesn’t “kill you”, despite the massive amount of bullets on screen. Instead, you’re in a constant race for survival as a battery meter slowly ticks down. Of course, if you do get hit, you’ll revive and lose some score or that much-needed multiplier.
If you’re after some bullet hell action on the Steam Deck, Android Assault Cactus should be your first stop.
Fields of Mistria
At a glance, Fields of Mistria looks like another Stardew Valley clone, but the anime-inspired farming sim is so much more.
While still in early access, the game runs perfectly on the Deck, which makes exploring the village of Mistria and meeting its many inhabitants all the better.
There are over 30 villagers to befriend in total, each with their own stunning 90s-anime looking sprite art and unique animations. While you aren’t getting to know them, you can spend time customizing your home, doing up your farm, or exploring the local mines.
Or, try yourself at romancing the 12 lucky marriage candidates Mistria has to offer. If you’ve spent a lot of time with Stardew on Deck, the stunning fluid animations and huge levels of customization are sure to make Fields of Mistria your next top-played Steam Deck game.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
The Steam Deck isn’t just about cozy games. But the portable nature of the Valve handheld makes it perfect for twiddling away hours on games like Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Originally released in 2023, the Disney life sim regularly receives a ton of updates and new content, making Dreamlight Valley and Steam Deck a magic combination.
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Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight isn’t new to Steam Deck by any means. However, the latest cross-progression update has made it easier than ever to make the switch to playing on Steam Deck.
The asymmetrical online horror originally had a rocky road on the handheld. However, now, whether you prefer to survive the Entity’s clutches, or do its bidding as a killer, the game runs like a dream on the go.
Since it first became playable on the Deck, the roaster of playable survivors and killers has grown. Everyone from horror icon Chucky, to Lara Croft from Tomb Raider has also joined in on the horrors.
Persona 3 Reload
With some of the most recognized versions of Persona 3 originally launching on Sony’s PSP, Persona 3 Reload and Steam Deck seem like a match made in RPG heaven.
The stunning Atlus remake takes elements from Persona 5 and its Royal counterpart and gives P3 a new lick of paint.
The updated character models, quality of life improvements, and newly updated overall graphics shine on the Steam Deck OLED models display.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
With the questionable cloud versions on Nintendo Switch, and cut-scene broken versions on the Epic Game Store, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix is the ultimate way to play the start of the iconic series on Steam Deck.
This collection condenses Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Re:Chain of Memories, II Final Mix, Birth by Sleep, and HD cutscene compilations of both 358/2 Days and Re:coded into one game.
Whatever game early in the KH series you want to pick up, they all play wonderfully on the Steam Deck. To make things easier, the game automatically changes the original PlayStation button prompts so you can master mini-games like the Swim This Way music rhythm section without issue.
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
An absurdly short game, but nevertheless one of the cutest, and funniest titles of 2024 to pick up on Steam Deck.
The Duck Detective: The Secret Salami has you play as a detective duck, trying to unveil the mysteries of a sausage-based conspiracy, and it’s heaps of fun on the handheld.
Heavily inspired by the film noir genre, the game is wonderfully voiced by Sean Chiplock (The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild) and is easily one of the best, short gaming experiences to play on the go.
Homebody
Homebody is the latest game to come out of the in-house game studio from legendary YouTubers, the Game Grumps.
The creepy retro-style horror game plays great on the Steam Deck right out of the box and is easily one of the best horror experiences of 2024.
In Homebody, you play as Emily as she and her friends experience a time loop in a strange house. Amongst the many puzzles, a horrific entity is watching your every move, and taking your friends out one by one.
Needy Streamer Overload
In Needy Streamer Overlord, you play as the manager of ‘OMGkawaiiAngel’, a young streamer desperate for approval and a chance at online stardom.
The game mimics a pastel-colored parody of Windows 98, which feels great to control with the Steam Deck trackpads. Through the various different applications at your disposal, you must gradually build OMGkawaiiAngel’s following, and even control aspects of her own life, with often horrific outcomes.
As a multi-ending ADV game, there is a ton of endings to collect. And with Needy Streamer Overload in the palm of your hand on Steam Deck, it’s never been easier to collect them all.
A Little to the Left
Sometimes you don’t want to spend your hours on the Steam Deck shooting at enemies or running away from scary bad guys. Luckily, that’s where A Little to the Left comes in.
The incredibly chill puzzle game has you doing everything from organizing a pile of books, to straightening a collection of colored pencils.
If you master the over 100 unique puzzles, the ‘Daily Tidy Delivery’ will give you a brand-new puzzle to figure out every single day.
Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-
Based upon the classic (though often forgotten) anime series of the same name, Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- is the Steam Deck’s answer to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
The Metrodivania-style game features stunning sprite art and fluid animations that look even better on the Steam Deck OLED model’s screen.
The 2D action-exploration game is also full to the brim with powerful swords and bows to master, and environments based on the anime series to explore.
Sticky Business
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like running a cute sticker shop on Etsy but on Steam Deck, you can now with Sticky Business!
The bright and colorful indie game by Spellgarden Games puts you in the shoes of someone running their own cozy sticker business, letting you actually design and individually package your own orders. You can choose everything, down to the color of the paper packaging your cute designs get sent in.
The Steam Deck’s trackpads make navigating the PC-designed UI of the game a breeze. Easily, you’ll find yourself racking up the hours on this adorable sticker management sim.
Doronko Wanko
Doronko Wanko’s Steam page states it’s “unsupported” for the Steam Deck, but the adorably cute action game runs great on the Valve handheld.
In this short, but sweet title, you play as a ridiculously cute pomeranian dog, who wants to cover every inch of their owner’s fancy house in layers of mud. The more mud you spread throughout the house, the more money in damages you can rack up.
Better yet, Doronko Wanko is entirely free! So while the pomeranian’s dirty deeds will cost its owner hundreds of thousands in clean-up costs, giving this a go on Steam Deck won’t cost you a single cent.
Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter isn’t new to the world of handhelds. Previous iterations in the series were available on Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s 3DS. So Monster Hunter World feels right at home on Steam Deck.
You can pick up the entirety of the Worlds DLC on the Valve handheld, which includes the Iceborn expansion. If you’ve hunted down every monster in the base game, Iceborn adds new monsters, areas to explore, new armor, and new story assignments too.
Its sequel, Monster Hunter Wilds, is planned for release sometime in 2025. So there’s plenty of time to hunt every last monster in preparation for what lies ahead.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the eighth installment in the mainline Like a Dragon (formally Yakuza) game series, and centers again around everyone’s favorite goofy hero, Ichiban Kasuga.
This time around, Ichiban teams up with series legend, the Dragon of Dojima himself, Kazuma Kiryu to explore all of what Hawaii has to offer.
Just like the rest of the series, Infinite Wealth is filled with side quests and mini-games, including ‘Dodonka Island’ an Animal Crossing-inspired management sim. So there’s plenty to spend hours playing on the Steam Deck.
Aperture Desk Job
While it may seem like an obvious pick, Aperture Desk Job is still one of the best (albeit short) gaming experiences on the Steam Deck.
The game, which is set in the same universe as Valve’s Portal game series, basically acts like a tech demo for what your trusty Valve handheld is capable of.
All the humor and wit you’ve likely come to associate with Portal is on full display as you play as a new entry-level Aperture working on their first day.
Better yet, this tech-demo-turned-game is free to play. Even two years into the Steam Deck’s lifespan, we highly recommend it the first gaming experience on your Valve handheld.
Looking for more Steam Deck guides? We have you covered with our ultimate starter guide. Check out our How to add Xbox and PC Game Pass games on Steam Deck if you’re looking for even more Steam Deck games to play on the go.
