Released back in February of last year, Valve’sSteam Deckhas been a runaway success from the very get-go. From the moment orders for the Steam Deck first went live in 2021, the demand for these portable PCs has been immense, with fans having to fight each other constantly to get their hands on one within those first 12 months. Thankfully, the Steam Deck has since become readily available for the masses, and with the introduction of the recentSteam Deck OLED, there’s never been a better time to jump on board the handheld PC train.
Even aside from its new OLED model, the Steam Deck has a a phenomenal year in general. Just like every other gaming platform, this year has seen a frankly absurd number of excellent games released on theSteam Deck, many of which now hold that coveted “Verified” status, meaning that they run perfectly on the Steam Deck with no performance issues at all. But in a year with so many great games, only a few can earn a spot on this top 10 Steam Deck games of 2023 list(seen below in alphabetical order).
Armored Core 6
After years of waiting, FromSoftware has finally returned to its iconicArmored Coreseries, and it’s made quite the triumphant return at that. Not content with just making another entry in the long-running third-person mech-shooter franchise, FromSoftware has went above and beyond withArmored Core 6, not only modernizing the usualArmored Coreformula but infusing it with some satisfyingSekiro-inspired parrysystems. While it technically only has the “Playable” tag for Steam Deck,Armored Core 6runs very well on the handheld, with its only noticeable downside being its sometimes smaller text.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
WHERE TO PLAY
Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
Baldur’s Gate 3
A game that needs no introduction,Baldur’s Gate 3has somehow managed to become 2023’s best video game according to many fans, The Game Awards, and much of the general industry. A truly innovativeturn-based RPG,Baldur’s Gate 3is the closest gamers can get to experiencing a game ofDungeons and Dragonscome to life, with a plethora of branching paths, a ton of great dialogue, some now-iconic performances, and a surprisingly deep combat system, all of which offers more player-freedom than any other game out there right now.
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty
It’s been over three years sinceCyberpunk 2077was first released, and by all accounts,CD Projekt Red has finally redeemed itself. After constant updates throughout the last few years,Cyberpunk 2077is now the game that fans always hoped it would be, and that was cemented with the release of theCyberpunk 20772.0 patch which arrived right alongside the long-awaitedPhantom LibertyDLC expansion. New abilities, new mechanics, new vehicles, new weapons, and an expansive new story quest,Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyfinally delivers the quintessentialCyberpunkexperience.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Phantom Liberty is a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077. When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her — you. Become V, a cyberpunk for hire, and dive deep into a tangled web of espionage and political intrigue, unraveling a story that connects the highest echelons of power with the brutal world of black-market mercenaries.
Dave the Diver
A game that feels as though it’s been tailor-made for the Steam Deck,Dave the Diversees players take control of the titular mariner as he spends his days catching fish, and his nights running a sushi restaurant. Equal parts action title and management game,Dave the Diverhas a central loop that immediately hooks players, and keeps them dangling for hours, coming back time and time again to fish, serve, upgrade, repeat, and it’s this loop that feels so tailor-made forthe Steam Deck’s shorter play-sessions.
Dive by day! Serve by night! The best diving, harpooning, action-adventuring, and sushi restaurant managing experience you’ll ever have. DAVE THE DIVER is a casual, single-player adventure RPG featuring deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day and sushi restaurant management at night. Join Dave and his quirky friends as they seek to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Blue Hole.Explore and unravel the mysteries in the depths of the Blue Hole by day and run a successful exotic sushi restaurant by night.Dive into the ever-changing Blue Hole and use a harpoon and other weapons to catch fish and various creatures. Upgrade and forge equipment with collected resources and sushi restaurant profits to prepare for the dangers that lurk in the unknown. Running out of oxygen means leaving collected items and fish behind!
Released back in March, theDead Cells x CastlevaniaDLC might have gone a bit under the radar this year, but it’s absolutely worth picking up, both for fans of the franchise and those who have never played aCastlevaniain their life. Belonging tothe Metroidvania genrefrom the very beginning, aCastlevaniacrossover was always on the cards forDead Cells, and the final product was well worth the wait. New bosses, new settings, new playable characters, and new weapons can all be found in this DLC, all of which come from the belovedCastlevaniafranchise. Those desperately waiting for a newCastlevaniagame need to try this DLC.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells puts you in control of a failed alchemic experiment trying to figure out what’s happening on a sprawling, ever-changing and seemingly cursed Island. Tough but fair combat, responsive controls, challenging foes, permadeath and of course, the emergency panic roll to get you out of trouble, make for a demanding, visceral and cathartic action game.Experience a Roguevania, mixing an interconnected world, branching paths and unlockable skills with the constant adrenaline-pumping threat of permadeath. No checkpoints. You either vanquish the final boss in one go, or you try again. However, you keep some of your progress for successive runs; new paths you’ve unlocked, access to new levels, mutations, abilities and weapons.Speaking of weapons, Dead Cells features a plethora of ways to slay your enemies. A large variety of swords, bows and of course spells, but also whips, grenades and turrets, each one with its own unique twist. Plus, mutations and scrolls allow you to build and customize your character differently with each and every run.At the end of the day though, it’s YOUR skills as a player that matter most! Roguelites are about constantly sharpening your skills, until what was an insurmountable obstacle becomes a walk in the park. Patience, you’ll get better!… eventually.
Diablo 4
Another game that feels tailor-made for shorter play sessions on theSteam Deck,Diablo 4is one of the best games of 2023, and one of the best games that came to Steam Deck this year. While its microtransactions and live-service seasonal approach isn’t everyone’s cup of tea,Diablo 4is still an excellent sequel at its core, and those mechanics do feel a little more natural on a handheld device like the Steam Deck, where players can put in an hour or two at random intervals throughout the day.
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
Dredge
One of the best Indie games of 2023,Dredgeis another maritime-focused title, but it strays into much darker territory thanDave the Diver. The core gameplay loop ofDredgesees players take control of a fishing boat, head out into open waters, catch some fish, and return home to exchange them for upgrades. These upgrades will let players stray further out into uncharted waters, and the further they go, the more Lovecraftian things get. Addictive, fun, and uniquely dark,Dredgeis a must-play for Steam Deck owners.
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands, but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…Starting from your new home in the remote archipelago, ‘The Marrows’, take to the water and scour the depths for curious collectables and over 125 deep sea denizens. Explore each area while completing quests and visiting neighbouring island regions – each with their own unique opportunities, inhabitants, and secrets.
Octopath Traveler 2
One ofthe most underrated games of 2023,Octopath Traveler 2was released back in February and was quickly overshadowed by the games that soon flooded in after it. Much like its predecessor,Octopath Traveler 2puts players in charge of a band of eight unique playable characters, each with their own combat abilities and narrative path. From a gorgeous pixel art style to some great character writing and some engaging turn-based combat,Octopath Traveler 2is a great game, and one that lends itself well to the Steam Deck.
The story takes place in Solistia, a land comprising an eastern and western continent divided by the sea.It is a bustling era, wherein large vessels navigate busy sea routes and the power of steam gives birth to new technologies.Some people thrill to glamorous stars of the stage and industry, while others are brought to tears by war, plague, and poverty.In this faraway realm, eight travelers hailing from different regions venture forth for their own reasons. Step into their shoes and explore the land as you see fit, using their unique talents to aid you along your journey.Embark on an adventure all your own.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Somehow managing to achieve the possible yet again,Resident Evil 4 Remakenot only lives up to the legacy of the belovedResident Evil 42005 original, but exceeds it in several major ways from gameplay mechanics to story cohesion to boss fights and set pieces. While this list is full of excellent titles, none show the sheer impressiveness of the Steam Deck quite likeResident Evil 4 Remake, with it running very well on the handheld.
Resident Evil 4
Survival is just the beginning.Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City.Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
Sea of Stars
Granted Best Indie Game of the Year at the2023 Game Awards,Sea of Starslives up to that lofty title. Yet another turn-based RPG,Sea of Starsmanaged to stand out from the crowd by wearing its classic RPG influences on its sleeve. Heavily inspired by games likeChrono Trigger,Sea of Starsdelivers a wonderfully vibrant world full of colorful characters and creatures, alongside a fun turn-based combat system, and a solid story.
Set in the same world as 2018’s The Messenger, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars is an RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese classics like Chrono Trigger. Featuring a dynamic turn-based combat system and platforming-based exploration, Sea of Stars is an ambitious and gorgeous addition to the role-playing genre.
