Honorable Mention: Outward
Outward is an epic fantasy game with some pretty gritty survival mechanics. You can’t really die, though—each “death” sends you down another branching story path, meaning failure isn’t just met with outright frustration. I really wanted Outward to make this list. Some may find the combat a little too rigid, but I think the scope the game delivers outpaces those criticisms for the most part. Sadly, Outward has a lot of text—a lot of important text and menu dives that, on the Steam Deck’s smaller screen, become something of a deal breaker.
Maybe your eyes are better than mine though. If so, this is a pretty epic game to play in such a small form factor. And the graphics seem at home on the Deck’s 800p display—just make sure you flip the resolution in game to match the Deck’s screen if you give this one a shot.
