Best Well-Written Steam Deck Games
Steam currently has 70 Well-Written 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. Well-Written game rankings were last updated on 1/14/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best well-written games on Steam
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- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
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1. Scarlet Hollow
From the developers of Slay the Princess, return to the crumbling coal town your family built generations ago for the funeral of your aunt. You won't be able to save everyone. You might not even be able to save yourself. Welcome home.
Scarlet Hollow holds the #1 spot for "best Well-Written Steam Deck game" with a Player Score of 94. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,556 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,521 positive reviews and 35 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 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 | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 6/11/2021 |
| Franchise | Black Tabby Games |
| Developer | Black Tabby Games |
| Publisher | Black Tabby Games |
| Steam App Id | 1609230 |
2. 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 #2 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,706 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,513 positive reviews and 193 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 |
3. memories
memories is a sapphic visual novel dress-up game where clothes are linked to painful memories of a failed relationship.
memories has achieved a Player Score of 89, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,315 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,238 positive reviews and 77 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free 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.
| Release Date | 2/3/2023 |
| Developer | guiyyu |
| Publisher | Spookulele Games |
| Steam App Id | 2219470 |
4. A Juggler's Tale
Lead Abby the string puppet through a bruised, but beautiful fairy tale world in this cinematic adventure. Solve riddles, evade traps and shake off pursuers on the way to find freedom. Can Abby take control of her fate with all the strings attached?
A Juggler's Tale has achieved a Player Score of 88, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,646 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,523 positive reviews and 123 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $3.59 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 | $3.59 |
| Release Date | 9/29/2021 |
| Developer | kaleidoscube |
| Publisher | Assemble Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 1252830 |
5. Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place
Phil's life has crumbled to dust. The four walls of his room have become his safe haven. He yearns for sleep...but terrible nightmares haunt him. Welcome to a new dimension of horror. Welcome to Midnight Scenes.
Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place has achieved a Player Score of 87, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 163 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 158 positive reviews and 5 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $5.99 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 | $5.99 |
| Release Date | 3/19/2024 |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Octavi Navarro |
| Steam App Id | 2485750 |
6. REVEIL
REVEIL is a narrative first-person psycho-thriller game that focuses on story, puzzles and exploration. Find out what’s going on inside Walter Thompson and what his dark past at the Nelson Bros Circus has to do with it.
REVEIL has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 600 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 540 positive reviews and 60 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 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 | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 3/6/2024 |
| Franchise | Pixelsplit |
| Developer | Pixelsplit |
| Publisher | Daedalic Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 809060 |
7. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
Master the gibbon’s art of movement with a unique moveset that lets you swing, slide and somersault through a lush jungle canopy, and experience a free-flowing story of family and survival as you search for a home that may be lost forever.
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 453 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 409 positive reviews and 44 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $12.99 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 | $12.99 |
| Release Date | 5/18/2022 |
| Franchise | Broken Rules Games |
| Developer | Broken Rules |
| Publisher | Broken Rules |
| Steam App Id | 1837330 |
8. Letters - a written adventure
Letters is a fun word puzzle game about friendship, growing up and finding your place in life. Follow Sarah, a shy girl from Switzerland, by moving through her pen pal letters and chat messages. Use the power of words to solve riddles, interact with her friends and decide who she will grow up to be.
Letters - a written adventure has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 228 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 209 positive reviews and 19 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $2.99 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 | $2.99 |
| Release Date | 2/9/2022 |
| Developer | 5am Games GmbH |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1033080 |
9. Arietta of Spirits
Arietta of Spirits is a story-driven action-adventure game, with easy to approach game mechanics. Follow Arietta on her journey to unveil the mysteries of the Spirit Realm and immerse yourself in a story filled with emotion and surprising turns.
Arietta of Spirits has achieved a Player Score of 81, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 563 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 485 positive reviews and 78 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $2.99 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 | $2.99 |
| Release Date | 8/20/2021 |
| Franchise | Third Spirit Games |
| Developer | Third Spirit Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1140170 |
10. Harold Halibut
Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. Join Harold as he explores a vibrant retro-future world in his quest to find the true meaning of ‘home’.
Harold Halibut has achieved a Player Score of 80, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Well-Written Steam Deck games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 754 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 636 positive reviews and 118 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $34.99 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 | $34.99 |
| Release Date | 4/16/2024 |
| Developer | Slow Bros. |
| Publisher | Slow Bros. |
| Steam App Id | 924750 |
More Well-Written Steam Deck Verified Games
Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Well-Written games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 6/11/2021 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 21 | 3/8/2023 | 92 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 2/3/2023 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 3 | 9/29/2021 | 88 | $3.59 | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 3/19/2024 | 87 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 3/6/2024 | 84 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 5/18/2022 | 84 | $12.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 2/9/2022 | 84 | $2.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 8/20/2021 | 81 | $2.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 8 | 4/16/2024 | 80 | $34.99 | 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, January 14). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 14). Scarlet Hollow on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 4). PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 25). memories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 8). A Juggler's Tale on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 3). Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 14). REVEIL on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 14). Gibbon: Beyond the Trees on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 20). Letters - a written adventure on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 9). Arietta of Spirits on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 15). Harold Halibut on Steam. Steam Store.