Four years after its release, Valve’s Steam Deck is still the most popular handheld PC around and for good reason. The portable gaming device is easy to use, can play most 2D games you install on it with ease, handles 3D games fairly well, and can even be modded and tweaked if you so desire. It’s a marvelous machine, and if you are here, you likely own one or are about to buy one and want some video game recommendations. Thankfully, you’ve come to the right list, my friend.
Below you’ll find the 15 best PC games to play on your Steam Deck. For this list, we tried to include a mix of “classic” Steam Deck games—yes, Vampire Survivors is on here—as well as some titles that don’t always get mentioned when talking about the system. This list also features some bigger games as well as experiences that might be perfect for killing time at a bus stop or a short train ride. Lastly, for this list, we tried to stick to games that run well on the Deck without having to make weird tweaks or install mods.
Hopefully, at least one of these games is what you were looking for and lets you enjoy your Steam Deck a little more.
Vampire Survivors
Any list of best Steam Deck games is legally obligated to include Vampire Survivors. At this point, Valve should just pay Poncle some amount of money to have Vampire Survivors pre-installed on all Steam Decks. Anyway, yeah, it’s cheap, fun, runs great, and is a perfect game for the Steam Deck. I’d say play it, but you likely already have.
Stardew Valley
Another “legally obligated” recommendation, but hey, Stardew Valley is great, and it runs like a dream on Steam Deck. And if you want to get wild, unlike the Switch port of this popular cozy slice of life farming sim, Stardew Valley on Steam Deck can be modded. You don’t need to do that to play it, to be clear, but if you want to, it is an option on Deck.
Balatro
Okay, last one of these “legally obligated” entries, but yes, Balatro is an incredible game. One of the best games released in the last few years. Playing this strange poker rogue-like with bizarre joker cards is a blast regardless of where you play. On Steam Deck, Balatro is a treat, won’t kill your battery, and takes up little room. A no-brainer to toss on your Deck.
Dave the Diver
Some of the best games for the Steam Deck are ones built around “runs.” Games built like this let you hop in for a bit, then put the console to sleep when your bus arrives or your meeting starts. Dave the Diver, being split into different days, makes it one of these perfect Steam Deck games. Also helping is Dave the Diver‘s 2D art style which the Deck can handle without breaking a sweat. It’s never been easier to catch and cook digital fish on the go.
Blue Prince
Someone told me this was their Steam Deck bedtime game, and I get it. Slowly exploring a cozy but mysterious mansion that shifts every time you visit and is filled with puzzles to solve is a perfect activity to engage in for a bit before calling it a night. Blue Prince‘s 3D visuals don’t push the Steam Deck hard, and it plays effortlessly on a gamepad, making this a fantastic way to play one of 2025’s best-reviewed games.
Dredge
For those looking for something creepy to play on their Steam Deck, but not interested in a really scary game, Dredge is a great option. Not only does Dredge run well on the Deck, but it’s yet another game divided up into days, letting you jump in for a bit of fishing in its unsettling waters without making you commit to hours of cutscenes and action. Perfect for a lunch break run or a quick bit of game time on the toilet. Look, I’m not here to judge where or how you use the Deck, okay?
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor
You could probably fill up a Steam Deck with nothing but a ton of auto-shooter games that play a lot like Vampire Survivors. (In fact, there’s one more coming up on this list.) But among the many, many games that followed in Vampire Survivors‘ wake, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is one of the best. Adding sci-fi dwarves and mining and sub-challenges to the formula helps elevate this one beyond a mere clone. It runs well on Deck, too, though its 3D visuals will eat up battery faster than Vampire Survivors.
Hades / Hades 2
At one point, this list contained separate entries for Hades and its 2025 sequel. Then the list just had one, but mentioned the other. Let’s just save some time and internet ink and combine them into one entry. Both Hades games are impeccably designed action roguelikes that feature hot Greek gods, plenty of action, and gorgeous visuals that look like the coolest animated movie ever. And both Hades and Hades 2 play like a dream on Steam Deck. You really can’t go wrong with your choice.
Sektori
Geometry Wars was a good game. What if someone made a new one? Well, they did, and it’s called Sektori, and it’s awesome on any platform you play it on. And that includes the Steam Deck, where Sektori looks and runs flawlessly while delivering fast and fluid twin-stick shooter fun. You can’t ask for much more for $15.
Elden Ring
When Elden Ring first arrived back in 2022, the Steam Deck ended up being one of the best places to play FromSoftware’s hit open-world RPG. Flash forward to today, and it’s still a damn fine way to enjoy Elden Ring. It might not look as crisp as it will on a PS5 or a high-end PC, and it will eat your battery up quickly, but that’s all worth it to have such a fantastic game playable anywhere.
Resident Evil 2
A surprising number of modern Resident Evil games run well on the Steam Deck, but I still think the remake of Resident Evil 2 might be the best one to play on Valve’s portable PC. It’s not too big, doesn’t push the system too hard, and is a great installment in the franchise. It might not be as easy to drop in and out of this game as others on the list, but Resident Evil 2 is still a great choice to play on the Deck. Just maybe leave the lights on?
Big Hops
Sure, Big Hops was just released in January, but that doesn’t change the fact that this 3D platformer heavily inspired by Mario deserves a place on this list. Not only because it’s a joyful and creative platformer about a frog with a very useful tongue, but also because it looks sharp as heck and runs perfectly at 60FPS on the Deck. The world needs more fun 3D platformers, and Big Hops is here to answer that call.
Warframe
For a few different reasons, there aren’t many big live-service online games available for the Steam Deck. So, free-to-play ninja shooter Warframe being fully playable on the device is very cool. If you’ve always wanted to slice up robots and aliens while running 70MPH in a cyber ninja suit, this is the game for you. And you can do all of that and more while killing time at the airport, assuming you have a solid wi-fi connection, as Warframe is an online-only game.
TMNT Shredder’s Revenge
A 2D pixel art brawler is just about the perfect video game for the Steam Deck, and TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is one of the best you can find on Steam. So of course we added it to this list. And for those of you going “But this is better with other people!” don’t worry. You can just connect multiple gamepads to the Steam Deck and do some portable brawlin’ with pals wherever you want. Or connect your Steam Deck to a TV and enjoy one of the best TMNT games ever made.
Megabonk
Vampire Survivors but 3D and weirder is the elevator pitch for Megabonk. And it might be one of the best things to play on a Steam Deck. Even when the hordes of enemies get massive, the game’s framerate stays steady, and it feels perfect to play on a gamepad. The world doesn’t need many more auto-shooters, but it’s nice that we got one more that’s as good and fun as Megabonk. And it’s just $10.
