Best Text-Based Steam Deck Games
Steam currently has 3,419 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 11/13/2024.
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 25,222 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 24,422 positive reviews and 800 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 2,734 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,697 positive reviews and 37 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 2,903 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,859 positive reviews and 44 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 5,810 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,625 positive reviews and 185 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $3.71 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 | $3.71 |
| 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 2,128 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,073 positive reviews and 55 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 11,212 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 10,680 positive reviews and 532 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 4,518 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,330 positive reviews and 188 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 15,600 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 14,684 positive reviews and 916 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 1,620 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,566 positive reviews and 54 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 7,495 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,063 positive reviews and 432 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93 | 6/30/2021 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 68 | 8/15/2024 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 23 | 10/21/2022 | 94 | $11.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 21 | 10/23/2020 | 93 | $3.71 | Steam Charts | |
| 225 | 9/6/2024 | 93 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 4 | 9/24/2021 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 51 | 3/8/2023 | 92 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 188 | 7/25/2019 | 92 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 13 | 4/15/2021 | 92 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 256 | 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. (2024, November 13). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 13). Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 1). Katawa Shoujo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 6). Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 10). Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 30). Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 6). 60 Seconds! Reatomized on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 10). The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 8). The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles on Steam. Steam Store.