It’s that time of the year when you finally treat yourself or someone takes pity on you and buys you that one piece of tech you’ve been eyeing all year. For many, that’s the Steam Deck. If you woke up and unboxed a Steam Deck, well, congratulations! But here are a few of the games you should check out first on your new PC handheld!
The Best Games on Steam Deck for New Owners
The list of available titles for the Steam Deck grows seemingly daily, with new game releases and old titles finally receiving verification. Before long, everything will be playable on the handheld. But for now, you must still pick and choose, though it’s from an absolutely astounding library of games. Here are just a handful of what you can expect to enjoy on your new Steam Deck:
Balatro
I think Tom would be rather upset with me if I didn’t mention Balatro. But more so than that, it’s an incredible roguelike deckbuilder with innovative gameplay, that borderline enthralling one-more-turn style of gameplay we love, and quite accessible mechanics that warrant a playthrough or ten. Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t know poker because Balatro is so simple to grasp!
Stardew Valley
I’m not ashamed to admit that Stardew Valley is one of my all-time favorite titles to date. I used to play a ton of Harvest Moon, and then I graduated to Stardew on release day and never looked back. I’ve spent nearly 300 hours playing the indie farming simulator on Steam Deck alone, as it’s such a simple game to pick up and play with the handheld. It runs smoothly, the battery life is excellent, and the game functions better with a controller than with a mouse and keyboard, in my opinion.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Don’t expect to play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck for extended periods, as the massive role-playing game will burn through the handheld battery quickly. That said, the turn-based combat and easy maneuverability of the game work splendidly on the handheld controls of the Deck. If you want a game that will suck up countless hours of your free time without leaving the couch, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the go-to choice for many.
Related: 10 Best Zombie Games to Play in 2025
Hades (Or Hades 2!)
I was initially unsure about Hades, as I was still relatively new to the roguelike genre upon its release. However, after too many recommendations, I gave it a shot and immediately fell in love. It’s a challenging yet satisfying action hack-and-slash in which you’ll power up your abilities and move over time, delving further into the Underworld as you go. It functions perfectly on Steam Deck, and the bite-size maps allow you to play on your own time.
Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb was my Game of the Year in 2022, and an absolute surprise that I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy until my wife bought it for me as an early birthday present. Well, I was hooked. I immediately sunk 50 hours into a single playthrough, and then I did it again on PC. Then, I started playing on Steam Deck and wound up with another four complete playthroughs on the handheld. It runs well and has impressive battery life. But the technical stuff, while fun, is only a small part of the experience. You can run a cult, build your base, and venture into the wilds with powerful weapons and spells!
Do you have any recommendations for new Steam Deck owners? Let us know in the comments below, or visit the community forum to discuss Valve’s handheld and its top games!
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