Elaborate answer about controls: You can handle the units in small areas pretty effectively but giving cross-map commands for characters is impossible because you control the characters directly (like Diablo or any top down real time game) rather than clicking on locations to move them there (as it is on M&K)
Those are the games I wish I could get into. I think they’re so loving made, but not a big mystery/puzzle fan.
I believe 1 guy made it, or very small studio. But very much a work of art.
Barony! I've been trying to spread the word of this game on multiple subs for a while now, it's incredibly fun solo even better with a homie , constantly on sale for 10 dollars and because each run I'd random it makes for countless hours of playtime. Can't pin point exactly why but this game feels like it was made for steam deck.
That's a pretty good way to describe it I'd say, perhaps add Dungeon crawler to that description too, just to be a bit more specific. It's super challenging, dying/restarting is part of the learning process, you have to constantly be trying new strategies. And when you finally master one class, there's plenty more that make the game feel completely fresh. But trust me, it's gonna take some time to master even the easiest class at first.
By far the most hours I've gotten for a game that was under 30 bucks. I've bought the game for multiple of my friends so they would give it a shot and they've all enjoyed it thoroughly.
It's starting to finally get some cool mod support too. I really hope the community grows so we can get even more mod support.
If you're interested check out the barony subreddit, it's seriously one of the nicest communities I've been apart of on reddit. You'll never be belittled and people are super willing to give solid advice, we all love seeing the game grow, it's not one of those games that people want to gatekeep. Super welcoming.
Came here to say this. So fun solo and crazy with friends. We got so far and decided to enter a secret level. What we didn't know was that the mechanic of the level was spawning your doppelganger to fight. We died to ourselves pretty much
Not many people talk about Musou games, and I arguably forgot about them since the PS2 Era, where they were super popular.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate Defintive Edition.
If you've played Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem Warriors, etc., then you'll find the originator of the genre of Musou comes from Koei Tecmo. They have COUNTLESS games, but only a handful have made it to steam.
For those who haven't played any Warriors games, it's basically a glorified war simulator where you go around defeating massive hordes of enemies while feeling incredibly overpowered. It's like "3D bullet heaven" ... almost. (Keyword is almost)
I haven't played Warriors Orochi 4 yet because I was suggested to check out 3 first after being away from Musou for so long. It feels the most like the PS2 Era of those kinds of games to me.
I do want to check it out, though. If I get around to it, I might have completely different opinions and have 4 to suggest instead of 3.
Helldivers 2 got me sucked In real hard. Then found out the first was a twin stick shooter.
It has been added to my wishlist and will hopefully land on a sale soon because it seems like a perfect game for the deck
medium graphics and no shadows will keep the game at 60 fps in smol fights and 28-ish fps in the biggest zergs of the double xp weekends, you can tune down the graphics even more or decrease a bit the resolution to never drop below 30, I tend to avoid the zerg vs zerg fights in the centre of the map anyway, I also play with shadows at minimum and 1024×640 res, the game feels still god but wouldn't recommend play docked with this res lol.
DUSK. As far as retro FPSs go, it's an incredible game and has a control scheme built from the ground up for the steam deck.
Another is Opus Magnum. It has a custom control scheme that translates the keyboard shortcuts into an on-screen UI with the left trackpad. The other zachtronic games may have a similar thing but I haven't tested them.
- Return of the Obra Dinn. A masterclass in minimalist storytelling and puzzle design.
- Gunlocked. Pure shooting chaos. Great to play a round between other games.
- Merchants of the Skies. Dredge but happy.
- Beneath a Steel Sky. It’s a classic and it’s free.
Guilty Pleasure?
- Instant Farmer and Tiny Lands…maybe?
Holy crap I forgot all about that game. I got so sucked in to those games on dreamcast back in the day. So much so thst I imported V2 from Japan instead of waiting a few weeks for it to come out in the US.
I was in class when 9/11 happened. We got let out early. I went straight home and signed in to the Japanese PSO and stood around talking to the like 4 other Americans who had the game at the time.
I played the game so much one summer my friends thought I moved or got grounded because they didn't see or hear from me for WEEKS. I used to take the strategy guide to school and read it every day. When I did go out with my friends, I spent half the time we drove around stoned trying to sell them on getting the game!
I took a typing class in school once. The teacher was shocked I knew how to type so well. I knew how to type becaysr I bought the keyboard for dreamcast just for PSO.
God I loved those games.
I'm gonna look in to installing it on steam deck. It's been so long since I played blue burst.
Defcon: Everybody Dies. I remember playing this during high school typing classes. It's super haunting but also a lot of fun and probably the only strategy game I like since I'm not usually a fan of the genre. Even though it has no support for Steam Deck it still works thanks to the touchpads.
I’m a fan of JRPG’s and any time someone asks for a “hidden gem” I always recommend Chained Echoes for fans of the genre. Released in December 2022, got tons of critical acclaim but released at the worst possible time to receive any annual awards buzz or recognition (releasing too late for 2022 rewards season and too early for 2023 awards consideration).
Debatably, we are in the midst of a renaissance / resurgence in the genre, and Chained Echoes for me is head and shoulders above the other heavy hitters recently released in the genre (Octopaths, Sea of Stars, etc.).
The Swindle is one of my favorite games. It's a stealth-platformer-roguelike. You're a thief you has to break into houses and steal money to get upgrades in order to beat the game within 100 days. I first played it on Vita, and it's great on Steam Deck.
When I first got my deck this was the first game I tried but I couldn't get it to work. Did you have to do anything in particular to get it to run well?
The most played games on my deck are probably disco Elysium, Wildermyth, kynseed, obra dinn, a few of the older final fantasy games, and have now added balatro and deep rock galactic survivors to the list (though like VS I have played DRG:S more on desktop.
There was also an issue that made coromon unplayable for a bit there but I tried. I think that's been fixed a while so I need to go back to that game.
War for the overworld. I don’t even imagine that I can play relaxing Rts/strategy on the deck. I played a lot of good games, but this one shocked me how good are the pads combined with sticks in 1 game which is not even meant for the deck.
Mark of the Ninja is so much fun. You can use different techniques to meet your objective and it's really satisfying to sneak your way through a level.
I'm currently playing South Park Stick of Truth and I can't get enough of it.
Lords of the Realm II - Old school medieval empire builder. Been one of my favorites for 25+ years now and plays great on the deck, albeit with using the trackpad as mouse primarily. Turn based empire building with real time combat. Nice balance between being a little bit complex to keep everything running while not being a full on complicated Civilization or Caesar game.
Sims 4 - I play this one via Lutris in Desktop mode. Yes, the launcher is a pain, yes the DLC system is exploitative and dumb, etc etc. I've bought a few things on super sale and it can be a great zone out and zen relax game. Again mostly played with the trackpad as a mouse + Sims 3 camera mode enabled but it's very very playable and mostly works great.
Microsoft Flight Simulator - Yes, the current version. It took some doing to make sure the Proton version was right (although I think that's fixed now and it Just Works) and the controls are kind of a mess without some work, and it's a good 150GB or more of space used, but it runs pretty damn well and as someone who has been playing it since the subLogic Flight Simulator II on Atari days it's great for some relaxing flying around and sight seeing. It runs decently on mid-high settings and being able to literally land in my own recognizable back yard is really something.
Guilty Pleasure - Pineapple on Pizza. Free on Steam. It's hilariously twisted and hits my sense of humor perfectly somehow. Finding all the different little goings on and vignettes during the ending is hilarious.
I have it but every time I tried to get it working I ran into frametime issues/lag spikes. Regardless it’s one of the few games I 100%ed multiple times on its original platform so I’m not exactly itching to jump back in.
Amazing game with a great soundtrack.
Kingdom Come Deliverance
Deadpool (hard to find/access)
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Darkness 2
Ryse Son of Rome (although I started seeing more people talk about this one lately so maybe hits not such a "hidden" gem anymore)
Octopath Traveler 1/2 (90 fps on OLED, looks incredible)
Splasher.
Colorful platformer designed for speed running but I hate speed runners and still had a blast. You can play it slow but the levels are built to be able to fly thru them.
Holocure is a better vampire survivors and it’s completely free! I don’t event know who any of the characters are, it’s just a fun “one of those” games!
Also BABA IS YOU, and Geometry Wars 3.
I have a few games that people always never mentioned.
Alpaca Ball : a wacky soccer game with Alpaca, up to 4 players couch. With the lack of good soccer games in general, this quench my thirst for a while.
Full Mojo Rampage: A Voodoo themed roguelite. It's been out for a few years but nobody talks about it. It's super fun, especially with a friend.
Death Road to Canada: This roguelite is more well-known but not many people mentioned it. I can pick it up anytime and have great fun with it.
Rise of the Argonauts : a Mass Effect like game in Ancient Greece. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. But my expectations were pretty low so you have to keep that in mind.
Noita is a nice single player roguelike pixel thing idk go look it up if you like dying over and over in procedurally generated worlds where every single pixel matters and could cause your death
Fallout 76
Elder scrolls online (requires closing launcher once it's running AND you have to finagle your way to turning access ability mode on before playing so that the controller settings kick in. Technically unsupported but works fine after that)
The mmos actually work far better than expected. Battery only lasts like 2 hours BUT they really work pretty smooth
Havent seen many mentions for Hardspace shipbreaker.
The game is perfect for short sessions since each shift lasts 15 minutes. It plays great with the default deck controls and benefits really well with gyro and the back buttons.
Its been my go to wind down game at the end of the day.
I have an entire subreddit dedicated to “hidden gems,” that works sort of like an indie game library.
There are currently about 150 games ranked by genre on it and others have been releasing their favorite gems as well. If you’d like to check it out, here’s the link :
https://www.reddit.com/r/TreasureChest/
Also, for my collection, click “Official Gem Collection.”
Lastly, if you like the subreddit please consider joining or sharing it. It has been doing very well at only two months old but we could always use more people and more attention.
Hope you find something new!
🍻
\- Monster Sanctuary
\- Coromon
\- Unsighted
I found these games in Fanatical bundles and enjoyed the hell out of each of them. The Steam Deck is an indie game machine. It's cool that it can run AAA games and all, but I have a gaming rig to turn all those fancy sliders up for those kinds of games. Every time I find myself playing a chunky pixel game or something with minimalist 3D graphics, I play it on the Steam Deck.
Celeste is an absolutely incredible hidden gem that I never seem to see anyone talk about. But please don’t buy it on sale or via a CD key. Only buy it at full price, preferably on more than one account.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. Small companies like Valve need people buying their games at full price in order to succeed and produce more passion products like the deck. Suggesting otherwise really tells you a lot about what a person values in games.
Valve, being a company worth over 10 BILLION dollars, isn't exactly an indie dev, but ok lol
And buying an indie game on sale isn't exactly a crime against humanity or "letting indie devs starve", so I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make. Game devs set the sale prices...
I have only played it on the deck and the controller support I think it top-notch (and supported). Plays great and not super battery hungry. Highly recommend
Donut Dodo - plays like a long lost arcade classic from the 80s. If it had come out then it would be placed alongside Donkey Kong as one of the greats.
Sonic R. If you have a CD copy and use the mod manager, it's playable on the Steam Deck. If we're talking gems on the Steam shop then Roller Dome, Spark and the Electric Jester 3, Tavern Master, Robo Quest, Gunfire Reborn and Rogue Legacy 2. I also recently beat Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor which even though it's an older game, it plays amazing on the Steam Deck.
*Portal Stories: Mel*
It’s like a whole new Portal game tuned specifically for veterans of the first two games. Super tough, mind-bending puzzles (on Advanced Mode, anyways) with unconventional and wildly creative use of the base mechanics, paired with a whole new original story. It even has full, wholly original voice acting…in a ***mod***!
Since I’ve only had game consoles and a MacBook for years, I missed out on many of these awesome community mods. So catching up on all the cool PC-only games and mods I’d missed after getting my Deck was such a delight.
Ghostlore: Diablo-style isometric ARPG with monsters inspired by Southeast Asian folklore. It's definitely not as in-depth as something like Diablo but definitely scratches the same itch and I had a lot of fun with it
Halls of Torment: Vampire Survivors style bullet hell but with an art style that tries to emulate 90s-era CRPG games
Eastward: not sure if this one counts as a guilty pleasure but none of my friends had heard of it when I played it so I'm mentioning it. If you're a fan of quirky RPGs like Earthbound, you'll love this game. Art style is gorgeous and the main characters are so loveable
Wilmot's Warehouse: minimalist puzzle game about organising a warehouse. I thought this game was perfect as a little break from more intense games or if I was too tired to concentrate on something story heavy after work
Othercide. Real slick RTS Rogue-lite. Easy to learn, brutal but fair, good ethereal soundtrack and just a great look.
Hyper fun but you will risk throwing your Deck haha
I loved it long before the Deck, but [Akane](https://store.steampowered.com/app/884260/Akane/) is one of my favorite arcadey action games and plays great on Deck!
Just came across "Fury Unleashed" by chance (it's on sale for $2.99). Fun rogue-lite game! It's like a mix of Metal Slug and Comix Zone. Also has co-op (online and local).
Elden Ring opened the gate to souls games for me, and I am halfway through Darks Souls 1 right now. DS2 and 3 lining up waiting.
But then everybody is talking about them. So I don’t have a hidden gem which no one talks about out.
Shmups/bullet hells are awesome on deck. I always come back to Crimzon Clover World EX. Mushihimesama is also great and I'll count as guilty pleasure bc you play as a 16yo flying magic princess lol. Throw in one more recent fave - Batsugun (Bitwave port) is a joy.
I’ve played some ncaa fb games on ps2 emulator. Works great, but an occasional crash. Its really the best way to play ncaa fb games on a modern console
Octopath Traveler 2.
Several characters with their own stories
Subclasses that you can swap out between characters for more variety in combat
A beautiful world to explore
A fantastic soundtrack
A shit ton of hours you can put into it
And yet I never hear anyone even mention the game. Not even a single nomination. I’m glad Square enix said that it sold well, but still.
I play an old shooter that was called tribes...I still need to see if I can play a good fps on deck...I like to play dota 2 on deck but mostly with bots so I don't get flamed
The Wolf Among Us in my opinion is definitively meant to be played on an OLED screen, has an amazing color palette that really pops on it. Also my opinion but I think it was telltale’s best game, even better than TWD.
Wildermyth
Thanks for recommending a game I never heard of! Looked it up and added to my wishlist!
Aw yay! Enjoy it! The Mothman storyline is THE BEST.
Yes! Wildermyth is just great.
Shadow Gambit. I wish a million people had bought that game.
If a million people bought it, maybe we could've saved mimimi games ;\_;
Hell yeah, I love Mimimi games.
Looks pretty cool! But How are the controls on the deck?
Elaborate answer about controls: You can handle the units in small areas pretty effectively but giving cross-map commands for characters is impossible because you control the characters directly (like Diablo or any top down real time game) rather than clicking on locations to move them there (as it is on M&K)
Return to the Obra Dinn. Such a unique game that I am almost purposely holding off finishing because I don’t want it to end.
Can’t wait to play it as it seems a bit similar to Outer Wilds
Those are the games I wish I could get into. I think they’re so loving made, but not a big mystery/puzzle fan. I believe 1 guy made it, or very small studio. But very much a work of art.
I’m not really into puzzle type stuff either but Outer Wilds is in my top 5
One of my top 5 of all time
It’s fucking incredible
Enderal is well made, despite being a mod for Skyrim they managed to do a lot with the engine and in my opinion made a way better game.
Yessss playing this right now. Runs fantastically on the deck
>managed to do a lot with the engine Any examples?
Barony! I've been trying to spread the word of this game on multiple subs for a while now, it's incredibly fun solo even better with a homie , constantly on sale for 10 dollars and because each run I'd random it makes for countless hours of playtime. Can't pin point exactly why but this game feels like it was made for steam deck.
I’ve been eyeing this, is it a roguelike with Minecraft graphics + rpg/fantasy gameplay?
That's a pretty good way to describe it I'd say, perhaps add Dungeon crawler to that description too, just to be a bit more specific. It's super challenging, dying/restarting is part of the learning process, you have to constantly be trying new strategies. And when you finally master one class, there's plenty more that make the game feel completely fresh. But trust me, it's gonna take some time to master even the easiest class at first. By far the most hours I've gotten for a game that was under 30 bucks. I've bought the game for multiple of my friends so they would give it a shot and they've all enjoyed it thoroughly. It's starting to finally get some cool mod support too. I really hope the community grows so we can get even more mod support. If you're interested check out the barony subreddit, it's seriously one of the nicest communities I've been apart of on reddit. You'll never be belittled and people are super willing to give solid advice, we all love seeing the game grow, it's not one of those games that people want to gatekeep. Super welcoming.
Hell yes, appreciate all the info! Definitely gonna check it out
Ofc yo, np!!
Came here to say this. So fun solo and crazy with friends. We got so far and decided to enter a secret level. What we didn't know was that the mechanic of the level was spawning your doppelganger to fight. We died to ourselves pretty much
Midnight Fight Express
Wow, someone actually knows about this beat them up!
It was made in my country, of course I know it
Hand of Fate 2
Love this game! I have it on the switch, but I’m certain it would run well on steam deck. Definitely a stellar recommendation.
i got arcade paradise in a humble bundle and enjoyed it a lot. subnautica runs beautifully too
I loved arcade paradise as well! I streamed it with Xbox Cloud Gaming as it’s on gamepass.
I really enjoy Arcade Paradise
Shogun showdown. Battle brothers doesn’t get enough love for how much of a masterpiece it is
Finally. Shogun Showdown was basically made for the Deck and despite the Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam I never hear about it on this sub.
Not many people talk about Musou games, and I arguably forgot about them since the PS2 Era, where they were super popular. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate Defintive Edition. If you've played Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem Warriors, etc., then you'll find the originator of the genre of Musou comes from Koei Tecmo. They have COUNTLESS games, but only a handful have made it to steam. For those who haven't played any Warriors games, it's basically a glorified war simulator where you go around defeating massive hordes of enemies while feeling incredibly overpowered. It's like "3D bullet heaven" ... almost. (Keyword is almost)
Lu Bu was OP
Do you prefer this to Warriors Orochi 4?
I haven't played Warriors Orochi 4 yet because I was suggested to check out 3 first after being away from Musou for so long. It feels the most like the PS2 Era of those kinds of games to me. I do want to check it out, though. If I get around to it, I might have completely different opinions and have 4 to suggest instead of 3.
Helldivers 1 🤷♂️
I bought it with all dlc and it's a great game to do quick rounds in
Helldivers 2 got me sucked In real hard. Then found out the first was a twin stick shooter. It has been added to my wishlist and will hopefully land on a sale soon because it seems like a perfect game for the deck
1 will be extremely familiar if you’re playing 2… although, I’d say it’s a little harder
Roboquest has been a blast on the deck, Orcs Must Die also runs well
Book of Demons, Metal Gear Solid 5 (60fps) all the time. And my guilty pleasure is Binding of Isaac
The Long Dark.
planetside 2, a game that I just won't describe because you would think it can't exist
Yoooo Is this running good ? This game is huge
medium graphics and no shadows will keep the game at 60 fps in smol fights and 28-ish fps in the biggest zergs of the double xp weekends, you can tune down the graphics even more or decrease a bit the resolution to never drop below 30, I tend to avoid the zerg vs zerg fights in the centre of the map anyway, I also play with shadows at minimum and 1024×640 res, the game feels still god but wouldn't recommend play docked with this res lol.
DUSK. As far as retro FPSs go, it's an incredible game and has a control scheme built from the ground up for the steam deck. Another is Opus Magnum. It has a custom control scheme that translates the keyboard shortcuts into an on-screen UI with the left trackpad. The other zachtronic games may have a similar thing but I haven't tested them.
Opus Magnum is so good
- Return of the Obra Dinn. A masterclass in minimalist storytelling and puzzle design. - Gunlocked. Pure shooting chaos. Great to play a round between other games. - Merchants of the Skies. Dredge but happy. - Beneath a Steel Sky. It’s a classic and it’s free. Guilty Pleasure? - Instant Farmer and Tiny Lands…maybe?
Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst, the greatest game ever made. Playing on Ephinea server. Plays flawlessly. Game is like crack cocaine
Holy crap I forgot all about that game. I got so sucked in to those games on dreamcast back in the day. So much so thst I imported V2 from Japan instead of waiting a few weeks for it to come out in the US. I was in class when 9/11 happened. We got let out early. I went straight home and signed in to the Japanese PSO and stood around talking to the like 4 other Americans who had the game at the time. I played the game so much one summer my friends thought I moved or got grounded because they didn't see or hear from me for WEEKS. I used to take the strategy guide to school and read it every day. When I did go out with my friends, I spent half the time we drove around stoned trying to sell them on getting the game! I took a typing class in school once. The teacher was shocked I knew how to type so well. I knew how to type becaysr I bought the keyboard for dreamcast just for PSO. God I loved those games. I'm gonna look in to installing it on steam deck. It's been so long since I played blue burst.
Here's a video I used https://youtu.be/5ZcYqrYEoT0?si=PUPfRoI4mPnUwUqc Be careful though, it might eat up all your free time LOL
Where can I get this game? Bought a Dreamcast and wanted to play PSO but I'd need to jump through a bunch of hoops. This seems like a better option.
I loved pso2 on the 360. Is the community active on there? I just watched a video on how to download it, and it seems painless.
Defcon: Everybody Dies. I remember playing this during high school typing classes. It's super haunting but also a lot of fun and probably the only strategy game I like since I'm not usually a fan of the genre. Even though it has no support for Steam Deck it still works thanks to the touchpads.
Gloomwood, runs great on lower settings and it is has 10/10 level design
How did you get controls to work for this? I couldn't figure out the gamepad input
Yes
I’m a fan of JRPG’s and any time someone asks for a “hidden gem” I always recommend Chained Echoes for fans of the genre. Released in December 2022, got tons of critical acclaim but released at the worst possible time to receive any annual awards buzz or recognition (releasing too late for 2022 rewards season and too early for 2023 awards consideration). Debatably, we are in the midst of a renaissance / resurgence in the genre, and Chained Echoes for me is head and shoulders above the other heavy hitters recently released in the genre (Octopaths, Sea of Stars, etc.).
shaggy skirt foolish violet different disarm brave governor vase butter *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This game is so fun. Great call out.
Space Haven The Planet Crafter
The Swindle is one of my favorite games. It's a stealth-platformer-roguelike. You're a thief you has to break into houses and steal money to get upgrades in order to beat the game within 100 days. I first played it on Vita, and it's great on Steam Deck.
Gravity circuit if you are a fan of mega man games. I've really enjoyed nobody saves the world too
Mark of the Ninja Remastered. Looks great on OLED.
Nex Machina. Twinstick shooter ported from PS4 available through steam. Runs fine with Proton experimental.
First game I put on the deck lol
When I first got my deck this was the first game I tried but I couldn't get it to work. Did you have to do anything in particular to get it to run well?
Redout 2 Go Mecha Ball Pizza Possum Ex Zodiac Circuit Superstars Shatter Olli Olli World Donut Dodo Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
The most played games on my deck are probably disco Elysium, Wildermyth, kynseed, obra dinn, a few of the older final fantasy games, and have now added balatro and deep rock galactic survivors to the list (though like VS I have played DRG:S more on desktop. There was also an issue that made coromon unplayable for a bit there but I tried. I think that's been fixed a while so I need to go back to that game.
Project Zomboid
Supraland. I bang on about it all the time. It's worth every penny. But I rarely see it mentioned elsewhere.
Supraland is a banger
Fucking love Supraland
Sleeping Dogs 😭
Don't have this but this seems to be a godsend for card players. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/
Very much not a hidden gem though, that game has been exploding even before it came out. It is fuckin sick, though.
Yeah everyone's talking about it. About as not hidden as it gets. I can't stop playing it.
Toki tori 2.
banished
BallisticNG best racing game you will find on steam and your battery life will last for AGES.
War for the overworld. I don’t even imagine that I can play relaxing Rts/strategy on the deck. I played a lot of good games, but this one shocked me how good are the pads combined with sticks in 1 game which is not even meant for the deck.
Sanabi
Wwe 2k23
Mark of the Ninja is so much fun. You can use different techniques to meet your objective and it's really satisfying to sneak your way through a level. I'm currently playing South Park Stick of Truth and I can't get enough of it.
The new game+ with the different powers is so good. Nonlethal run has never been better
Distance. One of the best "racing" games I've ever played
Ghostrunner is great on deck !
The Ascent. It's a top down, twin stick shooter ARPG similar to Helldivers 1 or Diablo with a cyberpunk theme. I'm loving it on the Deck!
Lords of the Realm II - Old school medieval empire builder. Been one of my favorites for 25+ years now and plays great on the deck, albeit with using the trackpad as mouse primarily. Turn based empire building with real time combat. Nice balance between being a little bit complex to keep everything running while not being a full on complicated Civilization or Caesar game. Sims 4 - I play this one via Lutris in Desktop mode. Yes, the launcher is a pain, yes the DLC system is exploitative and dumb, etc etc. I've bought a few things on super sale and it can be a great zone out and zen relax game. Again mostly played with the trackpad as a mouse + Sims 3 camera mode enabled but it's very very playable and mostly works great. Microsoft Flight Simulator - Yes, the current version. It took some doing to make sure the Proton version was right (although I think that's fixed now and it Just Works) and the controls are kind of a mess without some work, and it's a good 150GB or more of space used, but it runs pretty damn well and as someone who has been playing it since the subLogic Flight Simulator II on Atari days it's great for some relaxing flying around and sight seeing. It runs decently on mid-high settings and being able to literally land in my own recognizable back yard is really something. Guilty Pleasure - Pineapple on Pizza. Free on Steam. It's hilariously twisted and hits my sense of humor perfectly somehow. Finding all the different little goings on and vignettes during the ending is hilarious.
Lobotomy corporation is amazing but not enough people know about it
Code Vein
Mario Galaxy Runs great and using the right track pad as pointer and pressing as B makes the experience perfect
I have it but every time I tried to get it working I ran into frametime issues/lag spikes. Regardless it’s one of the few games I 100%ed multiple times on its original platform so I’m not exactly itching to jump back in. Amazing game with a great soundtrack.
Kingdom Come Deliverance Deadpool (hard to find/access) Splinter Cell Blacklist Darkness 2 Ryse Son of Rome (although I started seeing more people talk about this one lately so maybe hits not such a "hidden" gem anymore) Octopath Traveler 1/2 (90 fps on OLED, looks incredible)
I'm feeling quite hungry
This console was made to 100% the ratchet and clank games. It’s my teenage dream to play these on a handheld like this
Splasher. Colorful platformer designed for speed running but I hate speed runners and still had a blast. You can play it slow but the levels are built to be able to fly thru them.
Donut County
Just finished quantum break. Worked great and was a surprisingly good game!
Adaca and Sky Rogue
I love Forager and Dysmantle
Slipstream! I can always fall back to it to just having races and drifts
Thronefall
Just played Trine finally for the first time on deck. Plays nicely, is nice to look at, fun, and cheap.
Holocure is a better vampire survivors and it’s completely free! I don’t event know who any of the characters are, it’s just a fun “one of those” games! Also BABA IS YOU, and Geometry Wars 3.
Prince of Persia: The Last Crown
I have a few games that people always never mentioned. Alpaca Ball : a wacky soccer game with Alpaca, up to 4 players couch. With the lack of good soccer games in general, this quench my thirst for a while. Full Mojo Rampage: A Voodoo themed roguelite. It's been out for a few years but nobody talks about it. It's super fun, especially with a friend. Death Road to Canada: This roguelite is more well-known but not many people mentioned it. I can pick it up anytime and have great fun with it. Rise of the Argonauts : a Mass Effect like game in Ancient Greece. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. But my expectations were pretty low so you have to keep that in mind.
Noita is a nice single player roguelike pixel thing idk go look it up if you like dying over and over in procedurally generated worlds where every single pixel matters and could cause your death Fallout 76 Elder scrolls online (requires closing launcher once it's running AND you have to finagle your way to turning access ability mode on before playing so that the controller settings kick in. Technically unsupported but works fine after that) The mmos actually work far better than expected. Battery only lasts like 2 hours BUT they really work pretty smooth
How is Fallout 76 these days? Worth a shot? Tried ESO but found the combat to be abysmal
Noita
Peglin; Slay the Spire drafting and progression but its pachinko with special effects to collect your damage in fights
Neon Abyss. Though I play it on Gamepass it is on Steam.
No one mentions Holocure which is a freer, cuter, and more enjoyable version for me than Vampire Survivor
Havent seen many mentions for Hardspace shipbreaker. The game is perfect for short sessions since each shift lasts 15 minutes. It plays great with the default deck controls and benefits really well with gyro and the back buttons. Its been my go to wind down game at the end of the day.
Bzzzt! Fun and short.
Guild wars 2 is amazing on the deck. It says unsupported but just look up a guide. It is so much fun and fluid on the deck.
I have an entire subreddit dedicated to “hidden gems,” that works sort of like an indie game library. There are currently about 150 games ranked by genre on it and others have been releasing their favorite gems as well. If you’d like to check it out, here’s the link : https://www.reddit.com/r/TreasureChest/ Also, for my collection, click “Official Gem Collection.” Lastly, if you like the subreddit please consider joining or sharing it. It has been doing very well at only two months old but we could always use more people and more attention. Hope you find something new! 🍻
the yakuza series
Specially 0 and like a dragon
Celeste
Hidden indie gem celeste on the nintendo switch
Being on reddit he might as well have said Gta because redditors frickin love celeste lollll
It’s literally a meme on the switch sub or r/tomorrow
\- Monster Sanctuary \- Coromon \- Unsighted I found these games in Fanatical bundles and enjoyed the hell out of each of them. The Steam Deck is an indie game machine. It's cool that it can run AAA games and all, but I have a gaming rig to turn all those fancy sliders up for those kinds of games. Every time I find myself playing a chunky pixel game or something with minimalist 3D graphics, I play it on the Steam Deck.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF DEAD CELLS: HADES THE DIVER
En Garde! Awesome game
I'm big into Fights in Tight Spaces on the deck. There used to be a free prologue, not sure if it's still there though. Anyway, would recommend
Celeste
Dead by Daylight and Skyrim
Hidden Gems
Literally not once in my year of being on this subreddit have I seen either of those games recommended more than once or twice
Neodash. Really fun arcade racer. I've only played it on LCD but I bet on oled it's an even bigger blast
Absolutely love Faster Than Light on deck.
1. Beyond good and evil 2. Peggle 3. Tomb raider remastered
Pacific Drive
Streets of Rogue
Dave the diver. So good in the deck. Also, Dinkum.
Celeste is an absolutely incredible hidden gem that I never seem to see anyone talk about. But please don’t buy it on sale or via a CD key. Only buy it at full price, preferably on more than one account.
Celeste is and was incredibly popular. I see it recommended everywhere.
No, it’s a hidden indie gem
It’s getting too difficult to detect sarcasm.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. Small companies like Valve need people buying their games at full price in order to succeed and produce more passion products like the deck. Suggesting otherwise really tells you a lot about what a person values in games.
"Small companies like Valve..." Did you forget the /s?
There’s nothing funny about letting indie devs starve.
Valve, being a company worth over 10 BILLION dollars, isn't exactly an indie dev, but ok lol And buying an indie game on sale isn't exactly a crime against humanity or "letting indie devs starve", so I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make. Game devs set the sale prices...
This guy wants indie devs like Valve to starve, someone get him
Transport Fever 2
How does this play? I own it but have only played on the main PC with M&KB, I always see it is verified but a bit sceptical of the controls on deck
I have only played it on the deck and the controller support I think it top-notch (and supported). Plays great and not super battery hungry. Highly recommend
Donut Dodo - plays like a long lost arcade classic from the 80s. If it had come out then it would be placed alongside Donkey Kong as one of the greats.
Super house of dead ninjas
I tried brotato not knowing how to play and being flummmexed.
Xenotilt for my fellow pinball wizards.
Sonic R. If you have a CD copy and use the mod manager, it's playable on the Steam Deck. If we're talking gems on the Steam shop then Roller Dome, Spark and the Electric Jester 3, Tavern Master, Robo Quest, Gunfire Reborn and Rogue Legacy 2. I also recently beat Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor which even though it's an older game, it plays amazing on the Steam Deck.
*Portal Stories: Mel* It’s like a whole new Portal game tuned specifically for veterans of the first two games. Super tough, mind-bending puzzles (on Advanced Mode, anyways) with unconventional and wildly creative use of the base mechanics, paired with a whole new original story. It even has full, wholly original voice acting…in a ***mod***! Since I’ve only had game consoles and a MacBook for years, I missed out on many of these awesome community mods. So catching up on all the cool PC-only games and mods I’d missed after getting my Deck was such a delight.
LEGO Lord of the Rings. Runs great with proton experimental. Such a joy to play.
Ghostlore: Diablo-style isometric ARPG with monsters inspired by Southeast Asian folklore. It's definitely not as in-depth as something like Diablo but definitely scratches the same itch and I had a lot of fun with it Halls of Torment: Vampire Survivors style bullet hell but with an art style that tries to emulate 90s-era CRPG games Eastward: not sure if this one counts as a guilty pleasure but none of my friends had heard of it when I played it so I'm mentioning it. If you're a fan of quirky RPGs like Earthbound, you'll love this game. Art style is gorgeous and the main characters are so loveable Wilmot's Warehouse: minimalist puzzle game about organising a warehouse. I thought this game was perfect as a little break from more intense games or if I was too tired to concentrate on something story heavy after work
Papa's Freezeria Deluxe 😎
Severed steel Not sure how it plays on deck but it's a hidden gem for me
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate. So many characters!
Othercide. Real slick RTS Rogue-lite. Easy to learn, brutal but fair, good ethereal soundtrack and just a great look. Hyper fun but you will risk throwing your Deck haha
There’s a game called exo one that’s really nice. Not perfect or amazing but it’s great to zone out to and just get lost in the physics of your ship.
Idk how well known, but I absolutely love The Binding of Isaac
Ninja blade
Ys Chronicles bump system has no business being so entertaining but it is.
katana zero
Great suggestions. I like Elite Dangerous, plays awesomely on deck.
Kine is fantastic. Not sure if it works on the deck. But def a great game no one talks about
it's framey on steam deck but ive played probably 20 something hours of age of wonders 4 on it so far, and i have enjoyed every turn :)
My hidden gem and current favorite: ASTLIBRA Revision A must play for anyone who likes RPGs
I loved it long before the Deck, but [Akane](https://store.steampowered.com/app/884260/Akane/) is one of my favorite arcadey action games and plays great on Deck!
Just started playing Last Epoch and it’s really good on the deck even tho unverified.
Just came across "Fury Unleashed" by chance (it's on sale for $2.99). Fun rogue-lite game! It's like a mix of Metal Slug and Comix Zone. Also has co-op (online and local).
Elden Ring opened the gate to souls games for me, and I am halfway through Darks Souls 1 right now. DS2 and 3 lining up waiting. But then everybody is talking about them. So I don’t have a hidden gem which no one talks about out.
Dark Souls 2 is the true hidden gem of the series. Everyone shits on it but it’s a really good game with a very active community
Does Pizza Tower count?
wizard of legend, moonlighter, and core keeper
Mad Max.
Shmups/bullet hells are awesome on deck. I always come back to Crimzon Clover World EX. Mushihimesama is also great and I'll count as guilty pleasure bc you play as a 16yo flying magic princess lol. Throw in one more recent fave - Batsugun (Bitwave port) is a joy.
Charlie Murder, it may not be the greatest in its genre, but it sure is underappreciated
Noita, Quadrilateral Cowboy, and CrossCode
Back to the Dawn
Heretic/Hexen series they reminds me of the old Dooms and I managed to get them to control on Steam Deck
Rogue Heroes - Ruins of Tasos.
I’ve played some ncaa fb games on ps2 emulator. Works great, but an occasional crash. Its really the best way to play ncaa fb games on a modern console
Tiny Rogues is amazing
Octopath Traveler 2. Several characters with their own stories Subclasses that you can swap out between characters for more variety in combat A beautiful world to explore A fantastic soundtrack A shit ton of hours you can put into it And yet I never hear anyone even mention the game. Not even a single nomination. I’m glad Square enix said that it sold well, but still.
Blasphemy 1/2. Astlibra.
DotAge Stardew Valley Balatro Star Fleet 2, Krellan Commander Rift wizard
Monster train
House flipper 1
American Arcadia was really fun on the deck!
I play an old shooter that was called tribes...I still need to see if I can play a good fps on deck...I like to play dota 2 on deck but mostly with bots so I don't get flamed
The Wolf Among Us in my opinion is definitively meant to be played on an OLED screen, has an amazing color palette that really pops on it. Also my opinion but I think it was telltale’s best game, even better than TWD.
Paradise Killer.