Steam Deck has now been released and gamers everywhere that want a punchy, console equivalent portable experience have been flooding to purchase Valve’s shiny new lump of gaming silicon en masse. A wonderful piece of kit, we’re primarily devoting this handy Steam Deck guide to the best Steam Deck games that money can buy, in addition to providing a comprehensive list of Steam Deck verified games to boot.
Steam Deck Release Date – When Did Steam Deck Come Out And How Can I Get One?
The Steam Deck release date was officially confirmed as February 25, 2022. Valve have also confirmed that pre-order customers had three days from the Steam Deck release date to collect their hardware, with those customers failing to do so resulting in that Steam Deck unit being reallocated. Since the Steam Deck release date, Valve has sought to make as many Steam Deck units available as possible in order to meet demand. However, Valve admits that more Steam Decks won’t be available until Q3 2022 and any Steam Deck orders placed right now won’t be fulfilled until then at earliest. The Valve Steam Deck can be ordered from the official Steam Store.
The Best Steam Deck Games – What Are The Best Games To Play On Steam Deck?
Being a fixed specification platform, Steam games have to be specially verified by Valve in order to be deemed fit to run on Steam Deck and by ‘run’, Valve means an individually curated experience that is tailored to the controls and performance specification of the platform. This means no keyboard or mouse inputs by default and a level of technical performance that doesn’t make your eyes roll into the back of your head. Sure, there are many games that are ‘playable’ on Steam Deck to varying degrees of quality, but it’s really the Steam Deck verified games that will give you the best experience. With more games being verified seemingly every week, we’ve picked out the cream of the crop – five of the best Steam Deck verified games that you can play right now.
Elden Ring
Not just a bonafide Game of the Year candidate for 2022 but potentially also one of the greatest open world action RPGs ever made, From Software’s Elden Ring perfectly intertwines the masterful third-person combat that Dark Souls series is known for together with a breathtaking open world where revelation and discovery lurk around every corner.
Perhaps most notably of all, Elden Ring runs extremely well on Valve’s Steam Deck, kicking out an impressive performance profile that will trigger raised eyebrows alike from PC and console owning folks. Elden Ring on the move? The future is here. Thank you Steam Deck.
God of War
Playing arguably one of the greatest PlayStation exclusives ever made in handheld form is something of a revelation, not least because it essentially feels like you have a PS4 in your hands (let’s shed a tear for the PlayStation Vita, please).
A boundlessly opulent action adventure that sees all-time violent lad and titular God of War Kratos pop off to the realms of Norse mythology for a bit with his plucky offspring, God of War blissfully blends satisfyingly thudding combat, irresistible exploration and a supremely compelling narrative filled with no shortage of engaging characters to create one of the finest games you can play on the Steam Deck right now.
Deathloop
Arkane Studios’ stupendously stylish take on Groudhog Day-esque assassinations that unfold on a hedonistic island in which its lead characters are trapped in a deadly time loop is a superb game to play on Steam Deck.
Oozing 1960s style retro-futurism out of every digital pore and providing players with seemingly endless creative latitude with which to take advantage of its central time-bending mechanism, Deathloop is a cracking and innovative first-person shooter adventure that sits at the apex of what Dishonored developer Arkane Studios has been able to achieve. Got a Steam Deck? Get Deathloop. It’s that simple.
Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima’s wonderfully bizarre post-apocalyptic adventure about a conflicted courier that must ward off a seemingly hidden evil while attempting to reconnect the remains of humanity is a great fit for Valve’s Steam Deck.
Deftly mixing in satisfying exploration and an esoteric traversal system with the sort of genre bending narratives that Kojima is known for, Death Stranding looks great and plays great on Steam Deck.
Dead Cells
Easily one of the best roguelikes of the last decade, Twin Motion’s Dead Cells plays sublimely on Valve’s shiny new lump of portable gaming silicon.
Cast as an eternally reanimated warrior that must carve, shoot and blast their way through a randomly generated labyrinthe of prisons, catacombs and fallen kingdoms, Dead Cells is a pitch-perfect blend of platforming and Metroidvania gameplay beats that nobody else has really managed to match in the years since its release.
A Complete List Of Steam Deck Verified Games
Beyond the previously mentioned list of superb Steam Deck verified games, there are many, many more games that are playable on Valve’s handheld wonder. Covering a wide range of genres and games, here is a currently complete list of Steam Deck verified games. Let’s take it from the top.
Steam Deck Verified Games A-F
- 8Doors: Arum’s Afterlife Adventure
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN
- A Story About My Uncle
- A traveler’s photo album
- Aeterna Noctis
- Alien: Isolation
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite
- Amnesia: Rebirth
- Animal Super Squad
- APE OUT
- Apex Legends
- Aragami
- Art of Rally
- Automobilista 2
- Baba Is You
- Babble Royale
- Banner Saga
- Banner Saga 2
- BattleBlock Theater
- Bayonetta
- Beacon
- Before We Leave
- Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
- Big Farm Story
- BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
- Blacksad: Under the Skin
- Blasphemous
- Blue Fire
- Boomerang X
- Bridge Constructor Portal
- Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
- Business Tour – Board Game with Online Multiplayer
- Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
- Carto
- CarX Drift Racing Online
- Castle Crashers
- Cat Quest
- Cat Quest 2
- Caveblazers
- Celeste
- Chasm
- Chernobylite
- Chorus
- Circuit Superstars
- Cloudpunk
- Clue/Cluedo: The Classic Mystery Game
- Control Ultimate Edition
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Crush Crush
- Cuphead
- Curse of the Dead Gods
- Cyber Hook
- Dark Deity
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
- DARK SOULS 2: Scholar of the First Sin
- DARK SOULS 3
- Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition
- Darksiders Genesis
- Daymare: 1998
- Dead Cells
- Dead Estate
- DEATH STRANDING
- Death Trash
- DEATHLOOP
- Death’s Door
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles
- Demon Turf
- Desperados 3
- Despot’s Game: Dystopian Army Builder
- Devil May Cry 5
- Disco Elysium – The Final Cut
- Dishonored
- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
- DOOM 2
- DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
- DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Digital Edition of Light
- Drawful 2
- Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour
- Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
- Dying Light
- Eastward
- Edge Of Eternity
- Elden Ring
- ELDERBORN
- ENDLESS Space – Definitive Edition
- ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West Premium Edition
- Enter the Gungeon
- Epic Battle Fantasy 5
- Everhood
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Evil Within
- Evoland
- Evoland 2
- Fable Anniversary
- Fae Tactics
- Falconeer
- Fallout Shelter
- Fantasy Blacksmith
- Farm Together
- Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
- FINAL FANTASY 1-4
- Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake)
- FIGHT KNIGHT
- FINAL FANTASY V3 – REMASTERED
- Fire Pro Wrestling World
- Firewatch
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Football, Tactics & Glory
- Fox Hime Zero
- FTL: Faster Than Light
- Furi
Steam Deck Verified Games G-L
- Gang Beasts
- Gas Station Simulator
- Ge*it*l Jousting
- Ghost Exorcism INC.
- Ghostrunner
- Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions
- God of War
- Graveyard Keeper
- GRID
- Griftlands
- Grim Clicker
- GRIME
- GRIS
- Guacamelee! 2
- Gunfire Reborn
- Hades
- Half-Life 2
- Happy’s Humble Burger Farm
- Haven
- Heave Ho
- Heavenly Bodies
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Hellish Quart
- He*t*i Bad Girls
- He*t*i Girl Hime
- HITMAN
- HITMAN 3
- Hollow Knight
- Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
- HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED
- Hotline Miami
- House Flipper
- Human: Fall Flat
- HUNTDOWN
- HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed
- Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
- Idle Wasteland
- INSIDE
- Into the Breach
- Intravenous
- Ion Fury
- ISEKAI QUEST
- Isekai Succubus ~My Genderbent Saga in Another World~
- Jackbox Party Pack 1 & 2
- Journey
- Journey To The Savage Planet
- Jump King
- Katamari Damacy REROLL
- Katana ZERO
- Kingdom Rush Vengeance – Tower Defense
- Kingdom: Classic
- Kitaria Fables
- Kynseed
- Last Evil
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Jurassic World
- LET IT DIE
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
- LEGO Movie – Videogame
- Lethal League Blaze
- LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game
- LEGO Star Wars – The Complete Saga
- Life is Strange (Remastered)
- Life is Strange 2
- LIMBO
- Littlewood
- Loop Odyssey
- Luck be a Landlord
Steam Deck Verified Games M-R
- Mad Max
- Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!
- Manifold Garden
- Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
- METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE
- METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Metal Unit
- Mini Motorways
- Minoria
- Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae
- MO:Astray
- Monster Sanctuary
- Mordheim: City of the Damned
- Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition
- Mortal Shell
- MudRunner
- Muv-Luv (マブラヴ)
- Muv-Luv Alternative (マブラヴ オルタネイティヴ)
- My Friend Pedro
- NBA 2K22
- NEKOPARA Extra
- NEKOPARA Vol. 0
- NEKOPARA Vol. 4
- Nexomon
- Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
- Nidhogg
- NINJA GAIDEN: Master Collection
- No Longer Home
- Nobody Saves the World
- Noita
- Nuclear Throne
- Obduction
- OCTOPATH TRAVELER
- Oozi: Earth Adventure
- Orcs Must Die! 3
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Outward
- Overcooked! 2
- Paint the Town Red
- Paradise Killer
- Pathologic 2
- PAYDAY 2
- PictoQuest
- Pit People
- Portal 2
- Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
- Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- PowerWash Simulator
- Prey
- Price
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Project CARS 3
- Project Warlock
- Psychonauts 2
- RAD
- Rain World
- Rating
- Ratropolis
- Realm Grinder
- Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-
- Redout: Enhanced Edition
- Remnant: From the Ashes
- Renai Karichaimashita: Koikari – Love For Hire
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- RIDE 4
- Ring of Pain
- Risk of Rain 2
- River City Girls
- Rocket League
- Rogue Legacy 2
- Roguebook
- Röki
- Roundguard
- Ryse: Son of Rome
Steam Deck Verified Games S-Z
- Sable
- Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Sakura Clicker
- Sam & Max Save the World
- Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
- SCARLET NEXUS
- Secrets of Grindea
- Seed of the Dead: Sweet Home
- Seeds of Chaos
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – GOTY Edition
- Session: Skate Sim
- Shadow Man Remastered
- Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
- SHENZHEN I/O
- Shadow Warrior
- Shadow Warrior 2
- Shining Resonance Refrain
- Shop Titans
- Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
- Siralim Ultimate
- Skater XL – The Ultimate Skateboarding Game
- Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
- Sonic Generations Collection
- Sonic Mania
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
- Spelunky 2
- Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
- Stardew Valley
- SteamWorld Heist
- SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
- Stick Fight: The Game
- Strange Horticulture
- Streets of Rogue
- Styx: Master of Shadows
- Supaplex
- Super Meat Boy
- Super Meat Boy Forever
- SUPERHOT
- SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
- Super Mega Baseball 3
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
- Supraland Six Inches Under
- Super Robot Wars 30
- Tales of Arise
- Tap Wizard 2
- Tetris Effect: Connected
- The Beast Inside
- The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Them’s Fightin’ Herds
- The Darkside Detective
- The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark
- This Is the Police 2
- THE GAME OF LIFE 2
- The Jackbox Party Pack 5-8
- TOHU
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’98 ULTIMATE MATCH FINAL EDITION
- Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV STEAM EDITION
- The Lands of Eldyn
- Travellers Rest
- The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
- The Messenger
- Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
- The Room
- The Se*y Brutale
- Treasure of Nadia
- The Wonderful 101: Remastered
- Tricky Towers
- Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
- TSIOQUE
- Tunche
- Twelve Minutes
- TY the Tasmanian Tiger
- UnderMine
- Unpacking
- UNSIGHTED
- Until We Die
- Untitled Goose Game
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Vampire Survivors
- Vampyr
- Vanquish
- Voidigo
- Webbed
- West of Dead
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- WHAT THE GOLF?
- Windjammers 2
- Wizard of Legend
- WORLD OF HORROR
- Wrestledunk Sports
- WWE 2K19
- Wytchwood
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yoku’s Island Express
- Yakuza 3 Remastered
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
- Your Chronicle
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links
Steam Deck Verified Games at Green Man Gaming
Head over to our Steam Deck Verified Games page on our store to check out brilliant deals on the best games for your Steam Deck. Get ready to go handheld with Green Man Gaming.
