Top 10 Games To Play On Your New Steam Deck | Top 10 Steam Deck Games

Introduction to Top 10 Steam Deck Games!

There are a ton of incredible games that can be played on the Steam Deck, despite how compact it is. Although it is a gaming PC in the form of a portable handheld device, the immense processing power and game selection made available through Steam more than make up for its heft. For our Top 10 Steam Deck Games list, we needed to establish some guidelines, such as the kind of games it can run, the quality at which it runs them, and portability.

We’ve put a lot of time into each game, but the fact that the Steam Deck can handle triple-A titles on the road is a big part of the show. This does not come without a few qualifications. Some games are pretty large in file size or require an initial internet connection and even some moderate tinkering in the settings to get working effectively, but hey, it wouldn’t be PC gaming without those things right?

Some of the games that are listed here aren’t necessarily new releases and you may have heard about or even played some of these titles. But that should not take you away from the fact that all of these are amazing games verified by Valve to play well with the Steam Deck so that you can have a great experience playing them on your new handheld Steam Deck on the go. So then, without further ado, let us present our picks for the Top 10 Steam Deck Games!

10. Tunic

Tunic, a video game published by Finji, takes inspiration from the Zelda and Souls series in a respectful and creative way. Your character, a fox from a cartoon, gets marooned on a mysterious island populated by dangerous creatures. Your journey starts on the beach and takes you through a forest to a variety of different ecosystems. On the mountain, you race past collapsing architecture covered in snow as you look for a path to the summit, while in the quarry, players combat beasts wearing gas masks to journey further beneath the surface.

Mostly, the game was made by Andrew Shouldice. Previously, he had worked for the Canadian puzzle game publisher Silverback. The creator discussed the game’s origins and fundamentals in an interview with the Waypoint Radio program. The game’s art style is beautiful; the vibrant colors are like something out of a vivid dream. There are sixty tracks total, and they can all be purchased on Bandcamp. The music is ethereal and synth-heavy, adding a subtle sense of awe and calm when needed.

Player curiosity is often rewarded in Tunic, thanks to the game’s emphasis on the isometric viewpoint. In addition to finding better weaponry, opening boxes, and creating new paths as you explore the island, you will also find cryptic guidebook pages.

Tunic Trailer

9. God of War

The PlayStation was the first home to the God Of War, which has become a legendary franchise. However, with the release of the most current installment on Steam, PC gamers will finally be able to experience the series for themselves. And, sure enough, it has been confirmed on Deck. Normally, you wouldn’t expect a game of this scale to run smoothly on a portable gaming PC, but you might be surprised.

Experience the land of the Norse gods as Kratos and his son Atreus. Enjoy a gripping narrative and intense battles against some of the series’ most memorable foes as you work to improve your character and unlock flashier attacks and hidden references to previous entries in the series. Action-game fans shouldn’t miss out on this one. Particularly considering that you can play it on both the Steam Deck and a gaming PC at home if you have one.

God of War Trailer

8. Horizon Zero Dawn

As a PlayStation exclusive, PC gamers have been waiting long to play Horizon: Zero Dawn. If you own a Steam Deck, playing this game on Steam might be the best way to experience it because the Complete Edition includes all of the downloadable content for the game.

Since Horizon: Zero Dawn is an open-world game, there is a lot to discover. The gameplay however is a bit of a dynamic take on the traditional role-playing games. As an action role-playing game, Horizon: Zero Dawn is experienced from a third-person perspective. The player assumes the role of Aloy, a hunter venturing across a dystopian world populated by synthetic creatures. As you progress through the game, you’ll get access to new abilities that will make it easier to overcome obstacles and defeat more formidable foes. You’ll take part in some truly epic battles with massive machines that look and act like dinosaurs.

Horizon Zero Dawn Trailer

7. Valheim

Open-world survival game Valheim is experienced from a third-person perspective. Players take on the role of defeated Vikings and must fend for themselves by making weapons, clothing, and shelters. The game has a unique low poly stylized look for its 3D graphics and an action-game-influenced battle system. Up to ten players can play together cooperatively, and players can choose between cooperative and PvP modes. In this game, you can advance from blocking to running based on your level of skill. Each skill has its own unique impact on the gameplay and may be leveled up to 100.

For instance, a player’s damage output with spears depends on their spear’s skill, whereas their stamina depletion while sprinting depends on their running skill. Five bosses are spread over the game’s various biomes, and defeating them is the game’s primary aim. It is necessary to go to each boss’ altar and make an offering of a particular item in order to summon that boss. When a boss is defeated, a collectible trophy will drop for players to claim.

These trophies can be brought to a central altar to be exchanged for a unique buff. There is no limit to the number of times a player can use a particular power-up, but there is a brief cooldown period between each use.

Valheim Trailer

6. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision. The game follows Wolf, a shinobi, as he plots revenge against the samurai clan that kidnapped his lord and attacked his village. The gameplay centers on sneaking around, finding new areas to explore, and fighting bosses. Strong allusions to Buddhist mythology and philosophy are interwoven into the game’s setting of a fictionalized Japan during the Sengoku period.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game’s director, set out to make something that was aesthetically and conceptually distinct from FromSoftware’s other IP, the Souls series. The developers found motivation in games like Tenchu and The Mysterious Murasame Castle. Critics lauded Sekiro, praising its gameplay and setting and drawing comparisons to the Souls games; however, they had varying assessments of the game’s difficulty. Multiple honors, including “Game of the Year” at The Game Awards, were given to it. By July 2020, the game had sold more than five million copies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Trailer

5. No Man’s Sky

Hello Games created and released No Man’s Sky in 2016, a survival and exploration video game set in space. Soon after its release, it was criticized by the players for over-promising and under-delivering. However, Hello Games continued their work on the game since then and have made No Man’s Sky into what they initially promised and beyond. After numerous updates and patches, No Man’s Sky has become one of the best space exploration games that you could play today on any platform, not just Steam Deck. So this was a no-brainer for us to include it on our list.

Currently, versions for macOS and iPadOS are in the works, and a Switch version is expected for release in October 2022. The four main tenets of the game are scavenging, combat, trading, and exploration. From either a first- or third-person perspective, No Man’s Sky players can engage in the game’s four primary activities: exploration, survival, fighting, and trading. The player assumes the role of the Traveller; an alien humanoid sent on an exploratory mission across the universe.

The entire universe, which has more than 18 quintillion planets, is open for players to explore and execute actions. Planets have their own ecosystems with unique varieties of flora and fauna thanks to the game’s procedural generation system, and diverse alien species may engage the player in combat or trade within planetary systems. Mining for resources to power and enhance equipment, purchasing and selling materials using credits gained by documenting flora and fauna, constructing planetary bases, and developing space fleets all help players progress in the game, as does following the game’s overarching plot and solving the mystery of The Atlas.

No Man’s Sky Trailer

4. Stardew Valley

A lot of people now consider Stardew Valley an indie game released in 2016 with unique pixel art 2D visuals to be the best farming game ever made. It is an interactive narrative about farming and rural living. Your grandpa left you a patch of land in Stardew Valley, so you’ve taken it over and started farming. You start your new existence with a few coins and some tools that were handed down to you. Characters can level up in a wide variety of categories as the game progresses, and it supports up to four players. In addition to farming, mining, fighting, fishing, and foraging are also things you can do in this game.

This is an excellent alternative if you’re searching for a fun, casual game that won’t be too intense. The Steam Deck is one of the best ways to spend time playing this game because it is both fun and convenient to use while on the go and assuming, of course, that you want a relaxed tone.

Stardew Valley Trailer

3. Hades

The action game Hades is fantastic. It has great handling and a challenging but not unfair difficulty curve. It’s simple to jump in for half an hour with the intention of staying for an hour and then find yourself two hours later with sweaty palms. The game’s polish makes the already great gameplay even better. Hades has stunning visuals, especially in action, with a great soundtrack to match. Outstanding voice acting adds depth to the plot.

It’s a challenging game, but there are options for adjusting the challenge for newcomers. The game’s events develop over the course of numerous attempts to flee Hades. It has unique hand-drawn anime-style art which came out as a breath of fresh air when it was released. Hades is one of the highest-rated games on Steam so it’s guaranteed that you will have a good time with it.

Hades’ developer, Supergiant, made sure it was playable on every platform imaginable, including the Steam Deck. With its unique art style, it’s very pleasing yet not really a graphically intensive game; therefore, it won’t drain your battery quickly either when playing on your new Steam Deck.

Hades Trailer

2. The Witcher 3

With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cd Projekt Red has concluded its trilogy of games starring witcher Geralt of Rivia. More than 4 million copies were sold in its first two weeks after release, more than double the overall sales of its predecessor, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt won the Game of The Year award at The Game Awards 2015. Following that it went on to win over 800 different awards including for best soundtracks. It has one of the best soundtracks in games history. Although CDPR’s latest title Cyberpunk 2077 did not do too well in terms of reputation, The Witcher 3 is still undoubtedly one of the best role-playing games ever made.

The Witcher 3 features an open world that spans multiple regions and has enough content to keep players busy for well over 100 hours. You play as a witcher, Geralt of Rivia. With a wider open world than any other game before, the players were allowed to roam around vast lands of the medieval witcher world following its amazing storyline. Similar to previous games, Geralt’s decisions will have repercussions that affect the storyline. The game was developed on the latest REDengine 3 and was made with input from Witcher fans.

Although this game is one of the oldest games on this list being released in 2015, it’s still one of our all-time favorites. Hence why this was included. With the recent announcement of a Witcher series continuation from CDPR, you might be interested in experiencing the gorgeous world of witchers yet again. This is a game that you should not miss out on Steam Deck if you haven’t played it before.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Cinematic Trailer

1. Elden Ring

If you’re looking for the best game on this list, look no farther than Elden Ring. Hidetaka Miyazaki directed the development of the game while collaborating with the fantasy novel author George R. R. Martin (the author of the famous Game of Thrones series). Elden Ring is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware (the same developer as another game on this list Sekiro) and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.

But keep in mind that you’ll get the most out of it by upgrading to a larger display. For optimal performance, the frame rate should be capped at 30 frames per second (fps), which is half the normal frame rate.

On the other hand, the Steam Deck is a fantastic place to play Elden Ring. Just like God of War, it’s exciting to have a beautifully designed game like this operating on a portable platform. It puts the Nintendo Switch’s library to shame.

In addition, we discovered that Steam Deck is fantastic to pick up and play whenever we need to farm runes (the in-game currency) without having to commit to playing the entire game. If you’re as hooked as we are, don’t worry; the Steam Deck has you covered even when you’re not near your computer. Cloud Saves on Steam ensures that whatever progress you make on the Steam Deck is carried over to your gaming PC and vice versa.

Elden Ring Story Trailer

Final Thoughts – Top 10 Steam Deck Games!

Developed by Valve, the Proton compatibility layer for Microsoft Windows allows games to run on Linux-based operating systems such as the SteamOS found on the Steam Deck. Despite that, it’s important to realize the fact that not all PC games are supported on the Steam Deck as of now.

Hundreds of games have already been tested on the system, ranging in size from the biggest triple-A releases to the tiniest indie ones, and most of them have passed with flying colors. Some others function adequately but not flawlessly; some haven’t been tested yet, while a small number simply won’t function at all due to some limitations in the Proton compatibility layer.

Hence in this piece, we’ve compiled a list of the top games available right now that have been verified by Steam as functioning identically to those found on gaming PCs. If you’ve already beaten these games, there’s a comprehensive list of certified titles on the Steam Deck website.

Steam Deck Gameplay

Also, don’t forget to check out other articles about the Steam Deck on Readwires. See Which Version of the Steam Deck You Should Buy? or How Steam Deck Revolutionizes Handheld gaming forever.

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