The Steam Deck offers a fantastic way to enjoy gaming on the go, essentially putting the power of a gaming PC in your hands with full access to the extensive Steam library. But what are people actually playing on their Decks? Valve has taken the guesswork out of this by now publishing Steam Deck-specific charts, allowing us to see at a glance what everyone is playing. These charts are a great indicator of what currently runs well on the handheld. However, while Steam offers convenience, it isn't always the cheapest place to buy your games. You can often save money by purchasing keys from third-party vendors, freeing up funds for more games to add to your backlog!
I've had a glance over the most popular games from the past month and provided some price comparisons. If you're looking for a new game for your Deck, this list is a great place to start.
10. Diablo 4
In at number 10 is my own personal 'most played' game on the Steam Deck, Diablo 4. Despite owning the game already on Xbox and through Battle.net, I couldn't resist triple dipping into the Steam version when it launched back in October 2023. The dark isometric hack and slash RPG lends itself brilliantly to the gaming handheld, with no need to mess with settings. You can play Diablo 4 on Steam Deck using Lutris if you already own the game on Battle.net and really do not want to purchase it again, but for convenience and better performance, I hand on heart recommend just grabbing it through Steam. Since it's 'loot reborn' update, Diablo 4 has reached its highest concurrent player numbers ever through the service, and if you're yet to jump into the dark and foreboding world of Sanctuary, there has never been a better time. Play as one of 5 classes to slaughter demons and collect ever more powerful loot as you learn all about the Eternal Conflict between Angels and Demons. The first expansion for Diablo 4, Vessel of Hatred, launches October 8 so plenty of time to catch up with the campaign now. Right now, Steam is the cheapest store for this at $34.99.
9. Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-
I know absolutely nothing about Kingdom Hearts, and I'm not going to pretend to, but what I do know is that its cult following goes wild for it, and it's the ninth most played game on Steam Deck this month. The Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX is a collection of six remastered games from the series, for which the cheapest place right now is Green Man Gaming, thanks to a discount code taking it down to $29.32. So for less than $30, you're getting:
- Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
- Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
8. Dave the Diver
People love fishing in games; just ask Jez Corden, who was gutted at the lack of fishing in Starfield. Fortunately, you can buy Dave the Diver instead, which is ALL about fishing in the day and managing a sushi restaurant by night. It sounds simple, but it's much more than that; not only will you fish, but you do everything from being a shark's dentist to side quests for a dude obsessed with anime and daydreaming of his ultimate waifu. Dave the Diver is one of those games that has many other games within the game; it's truly worth every single penny at full price for the hours of gameplay you get for $20, but you can squeeze even more value from your dollar at CD Keys where it's only $10.19.
7. Hades
Hades is the first game I played that convinced me that actually, I'm a sucker for a roguelike game. In fact, when playing on Xbox became less attractive during my maternity leave, Hades on Switch kept the gamer in me alive during long nursing sessions. Simply put, it's a refreshing game that you can't help but get addicted to. The hack-and-slash gameplay weaved in with characters straight out of greek mythology is just a joy to play. You play Zagreus, son of Hades, who is trying to fight his way out of the Underworld, and as you journey through the procedurally generated levels, eventually, you will fail and start again, but with more knowledge, strength, and abilities to make your next run that bit easier. With Hades 2 just out in Early Access, it's likely many are picking up the original to check it out, and you should too, it's only $9.99 on Steam right now and no cheaper elsewhere.
6. Fallout 4
Fallout 4 ranks sixth in the monthly chart. This isn’t surprising, as the success of the fantastic Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime has led to a resurgence in players across all Fallout games. If you're new to the Fallout series and want to get to grips with the game in a single-player experience, Fallout 4 is a fantastic place to start. You don't need any prior knowledge of the series at all, but if you have watched the TV show, you'll enjoy all the references to familiar characters and factions. In typical Bethesda style, this post-apocalyptic story offers so many side quests you'll forget what the main quest actually is. Still, it does mean you'll get hours and hours of gameplay and enjoyment for the teeny price of $6.99 right now at Fanatical. You will need to tweak some settings to get the best performance for the game, but thankfully, we have a full guide to the best settings for Fallout 4 on Steam Deck and other handhelds.
5. Hades 2
There are no deals on Hades 2 right now because it's still only in Early Access, but that hasn't stopped it from steaming (geddit?) to number 5 in the Steam Deck charts as people are eager to experience the newest iteration in this award-winning franchise. Hades 2 has a different protagonist: Melinoë, the immortal daughter of Hades and Persephone. She's on a mission to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time, and as such, the game introduces some new gameplay elements to the original formula as well as a bunch of new environments to explore.
There is a fair amount of content to explore in the Early Access version of the game , with 5 weapons to choose from and six regions to explore, thought some characters and final assets are still being polished.
4. Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 was inescapable in 2023, sweeping most award ceremonies and bagging the ultimate prize of Game of the Year. It's endlessly replayable, too, so no wonder it's still high on the Steam charts, but due to its popularity, you won't get a cheap price on it. However, you can snag it outside of Steam completely free of DRM by purchasing from GOG and running it through the Heroic Launcher or Lutris if DRM-free is important to you. We have a full guide to running GOG games on Steam Deck here.
The turn-based Dungeons and Dragon style gameplay is absolutely perfect on the Steam Deck, but graphically the game can struggle in later acts, so do check out our guide to Baldur's Gate 3 settings on Steam Deck before you hit play. The fantasy RPG lets you play as your own creation or one of the 'origin story' characters in a quest to save the Forgotten Realms from the influence of Mindflayers, a race that infect and threaten to transform you into their ranks. Each companion has their own intricate backstory and related side quests, and the game holds true to the experience of an unpredictable D&D campaign with seemingly endless ways to approach a fight or solve a puzzle. Baldur's Gate 3 is the kind of game you will finish and immediately want to start another playthrough, which is exactly what I did when it shadow dropped onto Xbox.
3. Balatro
Second only to Diablo 4 in my own personal Steam Deck chart, Balatro has taken hours and hours of my life away with its highly addictive roguelike deck-building gameplay. This isn't your average card game, cheat your way through poker using special Tarot cards, Planet power ups and gambling against the odds. Made by one solitary developer, Balatro hit one million sales not long ago, and is currently the 4th highest game on Metacritic for this year. For a card game you ask? It's not just a card game, Balatro is a mindbending and addictive experience that will find difficult to put down once you've played and failed at a few levels. The best thing though is that it barely uses any power, so your Steam Deck battery will last just fine with this game (and it's got me through many a long train journey). The cheapest place right now is CD Keys for $9.29, but once you've got the Balatro bug and find yourself dreaming of physical cards, theres a Balatro Special Edition for Xbox that comes with just that. Balatro is actually my personal game of the year so far, so for less than $10 I think it's worth it in spades.
2. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is the kind of game I've avoided downloading purely because I know it would swallow hours of my time. As someone who's spent hundreds of hours in games like Animal Crossing and even, god forbid, Farmville, I know Stardew Valley would be the end of me. Those of you with more self-control, though, may be interested to know it's only $8.99 right now on Steam, which is also the cheapest place to grab it. That being said, it's also available DRM-free at GOG and you can run GOG games on Steam Deck with a little tweaking, so the launcher is up to you.
Grow crops, raise livestock, fish, cook, mine, forage and socialize with the townspeople in this perfectly pixelated world that works perfectly in handheld form.
1. Elden Ring
While I'm not surprised that Elden Ring is top of the Steam charts given its recent launch of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, I am surprised so many people are playing it on Steam Deck. Personally, I grip my controller with such force during intense boss encounters that I'm prone to giving myself IRL furled fingers, and I'm not about to put my Steam Deck's sticks through that stress. Many people are enjoying it on the handheld, though, and apparently, it runs beautifully since an update earlier this year fixed some issues. If you are experiencing any problems, we have a guide to disabling the anti-cheat function, which can cause some performance issues. From review though, it seems the base game is working well. If you are new to Elden Ring, the base game is currently cheapest at Green Man Gaming for $37.79, and you'll need to beat a couple of bosses in this before progressing to Shadow of the Erdtree, which is $35.19.
Saving money with the Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is already a considerable investment, even if it is a slightly more budget-friendly alternative to the more powerful ROG Ally, so it's always good to save money where you can whether that be on your games or accessories. Here are 7 Steam Deck accessories I actually use day to day with my deck and a full rundown of the best power banks for Steam Deck — which, if you're going to play games like Diablo 4 and Elden Ring, you'll definitely need. To squeeze extra value, you could wait until Amazon Prime Day for the best bargains on accessories, and even the handhelds themselves, which you can already bag a discount on by checking out our best deals for Rog Ally and Steam Deck.
