With the Steam Deck becoming more readily available and more popular than ever thanks to a hefty discount on each model during the Steam Summer Sale, there are likely many of you out there wondering what games you should pick up for your Steam Deck while the Summer Sale is raging. In this list we’ll be looking at 10 of the best games in the Steam Summer Sale 2023 that look great, play well, and overall are just excellent on Steam Deck.
Some of the Best Steam Deck Games to Buy During the Steam Summer Sale 2023
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver is a fantastic new pixel graphics comfy game featuring a mixture of deep-sea adventure RPG and management simulation when you run your restaurant at nighttime. It’s already well optimized for the Steam Deck and is the perfect type of game to enjoy on the system. Even though it just came out, it still has a 10% discount for the Summer Sale, which is great and makes it easier for everyone to pick up and try out. If you’re someone who really enjoys games like Stardew Valley, this might be a great choice to add to your library.
Rimworld
This incredibly engrossing sci-fi sim game really is a unique experience. An intelligent AI storyteller will narrate your specific story as you build your colony up on your world and experience a whole range of events, which is very cool. It has a ton of management sim features that have you managing everything from the psychology of your colonist through to their relationships and diplomacy. The game is only on a 20% discount, but it’s relatively cheap these days and is a game that is well worth the price tag for the quality content you’ll be getting. It runs well on the Steam Deck and really does fit the system like a glove. You can easily play this game in short bursts and have a great time, which is a very good fit for a portable.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
Originally launched on PC last year, this collection delivers Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and if you haven’t played them yet, then now is a good chance to get a nice 40% discount. The storytelling, characters, and action adventure as you explore hidden treasures with Nathan Drake and crew are well worth experiencing. It’s a highly rated series and well loved for a good reason. It also looks great on the Steam Deck and plays nice and smoothly too.
Octopath Traveler II
Having enjoyed the first Octopath Traveler quite a bit but felt it definitely lacked a few things, I think Octopath Traveler II fills those gaps and takes the series up a notch. It is an excellent turn-based strategy JRPG that focuses on the main stories and building up your party as you progress. Square Enix really impressed me with this one. Right now, the game is 25% off, but if you buy it in a bundle with Various Daylife, the total savings becomes 53% — making it cost a little less to buy both than to just buy OT2!
Dredge
Dredge is a more recent title, so it only has a 20% discount. But it’s for a game that looks excellent, runs very well on Steam Deck, and is packed full of fishing, adventure, and mystery. This has been on my buy list since it came out, and now that it’s on sale and well optimized for the Steam Deck, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy.
High on Life
High on Life is a choice that will be hit or miss. The easiest way to know if you will love it is if you’re a Rick and Morty fan and enjoy that type of humor. If so, this is a game you should have on your list. The writing is hilarious, and while it doesn’t have the most amazing gameplay in the world, the story, characters, and dialogue do make up for it in what really is a very funny FPS journey. I wouldn’t recommend many FPS games for the Steam Deck, but High on Life isn’t too difficult. And with a nice 50% off, I think it’s worth considering.
Stray
If you ever wanted to play as a cat in a game set in a cyberpunk style world, well you sure can with Stray, and the good news is that it is well optimized for the Steam Deck and not too hefty of a game to run, making it a great choice to give a try. It has a respectable 25% discount on it in the sale, and if you fancy playing through a cool story as a cute kitty, this game has the reviews to back it up as a great choice to add to your cart.
Monster Hunter Rise
This is one of my favorite Monster Hunter games of all time, and I have played all of them. Monster Hunter Rise has added a ton of brilliant quality-of-life additions to the series that are now difficult to go without, such as having a big speedy dog as a mount. With a good storyline, along with amazing weapons, armor, and combat and epic monsters to fight and take down yourself or online with others, this game is well worth it at the incredible 60% off. (You can also buy it in a bundle with the Sunbreak expansion at 29% off.) Just don’t blame me if you get addicted and end up clocking in hundreds of hours playing this awesome game on your Steam Deck!
Hades
If you still haven’t gotten around to trying out action roguelike Hades, now is the best time to, with 50% off and the ability to play it beautifully optimized on the Steam Deck. From brilliant storytelling to fast-paced and fluid combat, there is a reason Hades is so highly regarded in its genre. It has one of the best roguelike progression systems that will have you doing run after run but enjoying it each time, which is quite the feat.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
This is one of my favorite games I’ve played over the past year. It’s still quite new having launched in early December 2022, and you can now pick it up with a massive 60% off. It’s optimized for the Steam Deck, and its unique turn-based combat really shines on the portable console. If you love yourself some Marvel and enjoy strategic turn-based combat, you should absolutely consider picking this up for your Steam Deck while it’s so cheap. It’s a blast to play, and the story is great to boot!
Those are some of the best games to pick up right now in the Steam Summer Sale 2023 for your Steam Deck. There are some really, really good deals this sale and more games than ever optimized for the Steam Deck, so get in there and pick some up before the sales are over!
