Best Text-Based Steam Deck Games
Steam currently has 3,597 Text-Based games, but not all of them can be played on the Steam Deck. Explore our list with the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Text-Based game rankings were last updated on 2/4/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best text-based games on Steam
- Best text-based Steam games for Mac
- Best text-based Linux games on Steam
- Free text-based games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
Welcome to the club! Write poems for your crush and experience the terror of school romance in this critically-acclaimed psychological horror story.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! holds the #1 spot for "best Text-Based Steam Deck game" with a Player Score of 95. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 26,489 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 25,651 positive reviews and 838 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 6/30/2021 |
| Franchise | Serenity Forge |
| Developer | Team Salvato |
| Publisher | Serenity Forge |
| Steam App Id | 1388880 |
2. Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a romantic visual novel set in the fictional Japanese Yamaku High School for disabled children. Hisao's congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right.
Katawa Shoujo has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,165 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 3,112 positive reviews and 53 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 8/15/2024 |
| Developer | Four Leaf Studios |
| Publisher | Four Leaf Studios |
| Steam App Id | 3068300 |
3. Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip
Embark on a road trip like no other in this co-op narrative survival adventure. Visit fun locations, meet wacky characters, and manage your resources wisely. And yes: you still can date some hot monsters ;)
Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,977 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,919 positive reviews and 58 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $11.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $11.99 |
| Release Date | 10/21/2022 |
| Franchise | Beautiful Glitch |
| Developer | Beautiful Glitch |
| Publisher | Beautiful Glitch |
| Steam App Id | 1665190 |
4. Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
"Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp" brings you more of the world's best (and maybe only?) multiplayer dating sim; but in a way you've never expected!
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,853 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,661 positive reviews and 192 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $11.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $11.99 |
| Release Date | 10/23/2020 |
| Franchise | Beautiful Glitch |
| Developer | Beautiful Glitch |
| Publisher | Beautiful Glitch |
| Steam App Id | 1140270 |
5. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Miles Edgeworth's dramatic turnabouts take center stage! Experience both Ace Attorney Investigations games in one gorgeous collection! Investigate crime scenes and solve tough, intriguing cases through logic and deduction. When Edgeworth's past and present collide, his future begins!
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,587 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,515 positive reviews and 72 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $39.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $39.99 |
| Release Date | 9/6/2024 |
| Franchise | Capcom |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Steam App Id | 2401970 |
6. Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft
Face unspeakable horrors. Succumb to madness. Welcome to a free daemonic narrative experience inspired by H. P. Lovecraft.
Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 11,335 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 10,796 positive reviews and 539 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
7. PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead? Discover the depths that some will go to in this horror-adventure game.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,806 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,611 positive reviews and 195 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 3/8/2023 |
| Developer | Square Enix |
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Steam App Id | 2106840 |
8. 60 Seconds! Reatomized
The post-apocalyptic dark comedy is back - remastered and even more radioactive than before! Scavenge supplies, rescue your family, and stay alive in your fallout shelter. Make difficult decisions, hunt mutant roaches... and maybe survive. Or not.
60 Seconds! Reatomized has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 16,094 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 15,162 positive reviews and 932 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 7/25/2019 |
| Franchise | Robot Gentleman |
| Developer | Robot Gentleman |
| Publisher | Robot Gentleman |
| Steam App Id | 1012880 |
9. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark
Delouse your room with sage and pack up your travel-sized ouija board, it’s time to re-enter Twin Lakes - America’s 34th most haunted city. Join Detective McQueen as he puzzles his way through 9 chilling cases, risking life and pixelated limb to solve the macabre mysteries that plague the poor town.
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,657 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,599 positive reviews and 58 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 4/15/2021 |
| Franchise | Akupara Games |
| Developer | Spooky Doorway |
| Publisher | Akupara Games |
| Steam App Id | 795420 |
10. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Immerse yourself in a dramatic yet charming and witty world of evidence-gathering, deduction and courtroom battles with this double-pack of the adventures of rookie lawyer Ryunosuke.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has achieved a Player Score of 91, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Text-Based Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,763 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,319 positive reviews and 444 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $39.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $39.99 |
| Release Date | 7/26/2021 |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Steam App Id | 1158850 |
More Text-Based Steam Deck Verified Games
Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Text-Based games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | 6/30/2021 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 118 | 8/15/2024 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 45 | 10/21/2022 | 94 | $11.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 44 | 10/23/2020 | 93 | $11.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 453 | 9/6/2024 | 93 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 4 | 9/24/2021 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 37 | 3/8/2023 | 92 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 264 | 7/25/2019 | 92 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 13 | 4/15/2021 | 92 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 417 | 7/26/2021 | 91 | $39.99 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 4). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 4). Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 27). Katawa Shoujo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 11). Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 31). Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 12). Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 8). Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 22). PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 15). 60 Seconds! Reatomized on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 9). The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 14). The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles on Steam. Steam Store.