What games actually feel right on the Steam Deck?

[NoraKim]

What games, and I mean this very literally, feel right on the Deck.

As a PC gamer, I genuinely don't believe I will ever be able to play an FPS or aim-game on the Deck, I'm very good with a mouse and keyboard and I will never have a better experience playing those games on Deck. It's truly amazing what the Steam Deck can do, but while it can play a lot of games geometry dash lite, it doesn't mean it should. High fidelity open world graphics games are often significantly less immersive on the handheld and give much more of an integrated experience on a bigger screen where you can appreciate the graphics.

On the flip side, it feels completely pointless booting up my 4090, 13900k, 4k 32inch monitor gaming PC to play Balatro for instance, it just feels... wasted.

So that's the question, what games feel good on the Steam Deck, what games have controls that just work without weird menu navigation and sluggish inventory management, what games maybe feel better on Steam Deck than they do on PC/console?

[emilliano]

Not every game belongs on the Deck, but some feel tailor-made for it. For me, games like Dead Cells, Hades, and Slay the Spire just feel perfect. Quick sessions, clean UI, and controls that are tight without any fiddling. Also, indie gems like Vampire Survivors and Celeste really shine - they’re simple, responsive, and super replayable, which is ideal for a handheld.

Funny enough, I’ve also been playing eggy car (yes, that silly physics driving game), and it’s weirdly great for pick-up-and-play on the go. Definitely not something I’d boot up on a high-end rig, but it feels right on the Deck. Sometimes it’s less about power and more about what fits in your hands and your mood.