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Valve continues to ramp up production of its popular Steam Deck, giving more customers a chance to get their hands on the unique handheld PC. The only thing more impressive than Steam Deck’s spec sheet is its library of supported games--which includes big names such as Hades, Disco Elysium, Elden Ring, Stardew Valley, and many, many more. Plus, a lot of great games that are playable on Steam Deck are heavily discounted until July 7 thanks to the Steam Summer Sale. If you already have your Steam Deck in hand, or if you just want to build up a library before it arrives, we've rounded up the best Steam Deck game deals available during the Steam Summer Sale. Now's your opportunity to stock up on games without breaking your budget. While a lot of these games are Steam Deck-verified or listed as playable with just minor quirks, there are some games on this list that haven't been tested by Valve. But don't worry, any game you find here that's not officially verified has been tested by GameSpot. All of the games in this roundup are stellar on Steam Deck. For more on Valve's massive sale, check out our roundups of the best Steam Summer Sale deals and best Steam Summer Sale deals under $10. And if you're looking for more games to play on your brand-new handheld, we have a roundup of the best Steam Deck games we've played so far.
Celeste
$5 ($20) Celeste is a challenging platformer with an emotional tale to tell. It relies on precise movements and fast reflexes, but Steam Deck’s hardware is more than up to the task. Celeste’s pixel art graphics also look great running on its 7-inch LCD screen.
Cuphead
$14 ($20) With some of the most eye-catching graphics of the past decade, Cuphead is a feast for the eyes with its 1930s cartoon-inspired art style. It’s also quite tough, with each stage pitting you against a ridiculous boss. But regardless of how hard it gets, battles always remain fair and lend themselves well to multiple playthroughs.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
$8 ($20) Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a sleek visual novel with a memorable cast of characters. As you progress through the story, you’ll discover clues and interrogate classmates in an attempt to help solve a series of murders.
Dead Cells
$13 ($25) If you’re looking for a high-quality metroidvania, Dead Cells is the game for you. Aside from its moody atmosphere and stylish animations, the game offers a brutal combat system and incredible replayability. When you die, most of your progress is lost--although you’ll eventually get the chance to carry over key skills to your next playthrough.
Death's Door
$10 ($20) Quirky, charming, and starring a crow, Death’s Door tasks you with hunting down a stolen soul. The game plays out from a top-down perspective, and there’s more than enough action and puzzle-solving to keep you glued to your Steam Deck for hours on end.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
$14 ($40) Not only is it getting a huge price cut, but our Disco Elysium: The Final Cut review awarded it a rare 10/10. Fans of narrative-driven games should definitely give it a look, although almost everyone will find something to love about its bleak and foreboding world.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters + 7 Remake
A bunch of Final Fantasy games are up for grabs, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade--which is down to just $50. You can also pick up a the Pixel Remaster of the original Final Fantasy for just $10, or snag a Final Fantasy 1-6 Pixel Remaster bundle for $75.
God of War
$40 ($50) Despite being a demanding game, God of War runs surprisingly well on Steam Deck. If you’re yet to join Kratos and Atreus on their emotional, visceral journey, it’s an excellent pick, especially if you want to see what the Steam Deck is capable of.
Hades
$15 ($25) Don’t let its gorgeous art style and charming characters fool you--Hades is a difficult game. Every death sends you back to the very first level, although some progress carries over in the form of upgraded stats and unlockable gear. Hades simply feels great to play, and the gear system is extremely well-designed.
Huntdown
$7 ($20) Modern 16-bit games don’t get much better than this. Huntdown has you step into the shoes of a bounty hunter to shoot down hordes of criminals. Offering both high-octane shootouts and a fair dose of laughs, Huntdown is an underrated gem that deserves a bit of space on your hard drive.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
$38 ($50) Despite launching in April, The Skywalker Saga is already seeing a generous discount on Steam. The latest Lego game lets you relive your favorite storylines from the original Skywalker saga and includes more than 300 playable characters. It also treats you to a new perspective, with the camera pulled in closer to the action than past Lego outings.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
$5 ($20) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brings the iconic stealth game to the open world. You’re free to roam the desert and engage in missions as you see fit, and you can even recruit soldiers to help you on the battlefield. If you haven’t played this gem, it’s an absolute steal for just five bucks.
Neon White
$23 ($25) Fast, funny, and filled with over-the-top action, Neon White sees you clearing out a demon infestation in Heaven. You’ll need to speed through each level as fast as possible to earn top marks, and the presence of an online leaderboard gives you good reason to dive back into each chaotic level dozens of times.
Omori
$12 ($20) Despite its adorable graphics, Omori is surprisingly terrifying. Its mysterious story has you exploring two different worlds in an attempt to help the main character, Sunny, come to terms with their fears and discover wild secrets about reality.
Pawnbarian
$7 ($10) Pawnbarian is a puzzle game inspired by chess. You’ll move your character around each board by playing cards from your deck--and each card will cause your player to move like the corresponding chess piece. It’s a quirky concept, but one that is well-suited for mobile play on Steam Deck.
Persona 4 Golden
$15 ($20) Solve a series of gruesome murders in this classic JRPG. The beloved Persona 4 Golden offers the same experience on PC as it did on Vita, although you’ll benefit from the larger display as well as variable frame rates, Steam Achievements, Trading Cards, and more.
Portal 1 + 2
$2 ($10) If you’re one of the six people yet to explore the Aperture Science Labs, you can snag Portal 1 and Portal 2 for two bucks each during the Steam Summer Sale. Aside from cake, you’ll get to enjoy mind-bending puzzles, a mysterious storyline, and cooperative play in Portal 2.
Rogue Legacy 2
$20 ($25) Equal parts funny and frustrating, Rogue Legacy 2 is a challenging roguelite that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Each time you die you’ll need to choose a new player on the family tree for your next playthrough. This could be anything from a knight that dies in one hit to a chef with an extended healthbar. You’ll earn gold as you fight through its deadly world, which can be used to purchase permanent upgrades for your family tree.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
$30 ($60) Elden Ring might not be on sale, but you can save big on another From Software hit. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is just as brutal as everything else in the developer’s catalog, although this game brings a newfound sense of verticality and speed to the punishing combat.
Slay the Spire
$9 ($25) Slay the Spire deftly merges card games with roguelikes, with players using cards from their hand to deal damage and defeat hordes of foes. Over 350 cards are available, and with more than 50 combat encounters and 200 unique items, there’s plenty of replayability to keep you coming back for more.
Spelunky 1 + 2
$2+ Spelunky is one of the finest platformers around, giving you randomized levels to explore and plenty of secrets to discover. You can find Spelunky 2 on sale for $10, which offers similar gameplay but with a new art style and more systems.
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
$10 ($30) This emotional narrative revolves around carrying spirits to the afterlife. Its poignant story is the main draw, although there’s a deep management game buried beneath its gorgeous graphics and fantastic writing. Spiritfarer is great from a gameplay perspective, but the overall message it delivers is what makes it such a wonderful experience.
Stardew Valley
$9 ($15) You know the drill--fix up your grandpa's farm, meet the locals, and explore a mysterious world that changes with the seasons. Stardew Valley is still one of the best farming games around. The action looks great on Steam Deck too, and the portable form factor makes it easy to run through a day of farming while commuting to work or away from home.
Teardown
$16 ($20) Teardown is technically a heist game, but it’s really just a backdrop for the hilariously fun destruction mechanics. Its voxel world is entirely destructible, which means there’s no shortage of viable strategies when it comes to robbing your target and making it out alive.
Toodee and Topdee
$14 ($20) Toodee and Topdee is more than a cutesy name. You’ll swap between 2D and top-down gameplay, making use of the unique perspectives to complete its challenging puzzles. Throw in some eye-catching pixelated graphics and a lighthearted sense of humor, and you’ve got a charming indie that deserves your attention.
Unsighted
$14 ($20) Unsighted is an awesome top-down action-RPG with gorgeous pixelated graphics, a cool suite of upgrades, and challenging but fair combat. You have to fight your way through the destroyed city of Arcadia to save your friends. With a compelling mix of fast-paced combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration, Unsighted was a standout indie last year. Anyone who likes metroidvanias or top-down action games should check it out.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
$8 ($40) You’re getting a lot of content for just eight bucks, as The Witcher 3 is an absolutely sprawling game. Play a hand of Gwent, upgrade your gear, tackle a few side quests, or maybe even get on with the main story. Regardless of what you get up to, it’ll all look and run great on your Steam Deck.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
$24 ($60) Launched in 2018, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was the first new Ys game in eight years. The long wait was worth it, as fans were treated to a JPRG experience filled with fast-paced combat, striking graphics, and a storyline just as wild as its predecessors. The follow-up, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, is also on sale for $48.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
$12 ($30) The Nonary Games bundle contains two remastered classic visual novels: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Rewards. These are the first two games in the popular Zero Escape series. In 999, nine individuals are trapped, and you have to solve puzzles to figure out the mystery. All the while, you have to figure out who you can trust and who is behind it all. Both games have excellent writing and puzzles and are ideal to play on a handheld such as the Steam Deck.
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