In my experience, action games on a small handheld are inferior to playing on a desktop or big screen with controller. The Steam Deck is heavy and gives you far less dexterity than when playing with a console controller, and the extra energy spent holding the device detracts from ease of playing high action games as well.

So I’ve mostly given up on playing fast-paced and action games like Doom or Hades on Steam Deck, preferring to play those on my Desktop or from the couch with a console controller. Instead I’ve found turn-based and slower paced games like Darkest Dungeon and Stardew Valley to be much more conducive to the Deck.

Here’s some of my recommendations, but I’m very much looking for others, so please let me know your list:

  • Darkest Dungeon
  • Graveyard Keeper
  • Stardew Valley
  • Coromon
  • Monster Train
  • Pillars of Eternity
  • Disco Elysium
  • Into the Breach
  • benbahdisdonc@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Im early into Cobalt Core and Let’s Revolution. Both fantastic. Into the Breach is an all-time favorite of mine.

    Cobalt Core is like Into the Breach and Slay the Spire mixed. It’s a deck builder but also there is an element of placement. So you have damage, shield, and mobility to think about. I personally did not like Slay the Spire because the stacks of effects would get so convoluted I would often not be sure exactly what would happen. Cobalt Core lets you stack some mechanics, but it stays more manageable. My last run I upgraded a card that does damage based on cards in your hand to do double that damage, then I proceeded to build my deck around amassing cards in my hand while being very mobile. I’d dodge attacks for a few turns then one-shot or nearly one-shot the enemy.

    Also it’s less complicated than Into the Breach, so I’m not spending 10 minutes optimizing a turn, or trying to find my way out of a situation that may be impossible to avoid. But I absolutely loved Into the Breach.

    It probably sounds like I’m really trying to sell it. And that’s because I am. I love games like this, and I want them to get support. Music and pixel art is great as well. AND you can save and exit at any point, very appreciated.

    Let’s Revolution is like a Rouge-lite minesweeper type game. It’s odd. You have to look at it and maybe even play it for a bit to know if you’ll actually like it. I’ve never seen a game like it. But one great thing is the characters are VERY different. The first wants/encourages that you clear the whole map and kill every enemy. The second character you get wants/encourages you to avoid revealing the map. The third doesn’t even start with an attack, and pushes you to just get the objective. I haven’t unlocked the others yet. This game is a bit tough to learn how the characters play.