Best Early Access Games on Steam
Steam currently has 10,573 Early Access games available to download and play. Explore our list of 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. Early Access game rankings were last updated on 12/10/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Free early access games on Steam
- Best early access Steam Deck games
- Best early access Linux games on Steam
- Best early access Steam games for Mac OS
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Vampire Survivors
Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you.
Vampire Survivors holds the #1 spot for "best Early Access game on Steam" with a Player Score of 97. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 243,614 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 239,963 positive reviews and 3,651 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.99 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.
2. Wallpaper Engine
Use stunning live wallpapers on your desktop. Animate your own images to create new wallpapers or import videos/websites and share them on the Steam Workshop!
Wallpaper Engine has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 845,036 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 828,440 positive reviews and 16,596 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $3.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Wallpaper Engine on the Steam Deck.
| Steam Price | $3.99 |
| Release Date | 11/16/2018 |
| Developer | Wallpaper Engine Team |
| Publisher | Wallpaper Engine Team |
| Steam App Id | 431960 |
3. Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light years away from Earth on the ‘Far, Far Range’ where she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes.
Slime Rancher has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 130,226 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 127,525 positive reviews and 2,701 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Slime Rancher on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $4.99 |
| Release Date | 8/1/2017 |
| Franchise | Monomi Park |
| Developer | Monomi Park |
| Publisher | Monomi Park |
| Steam App Id | 433340 |
4. ULTRAKILL
ULTRAKILL is a fast-paced ultraviolent retro FPS combining the skill-based style scoring from character action games with unadulterated carnage inspired by the best shooters of the '90s. Rip apart your foes with varied destructive weapons and shower in their blood to regain your health.
ULTRAKILL has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 137,805 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 134,869 positive reviews and 2,936 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 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 | $24.99 |
| Release Date | 9/3/2020 |
| Franchise | New Blood Interactive |
| Developer | Arsi "Hakita" Patala |
| Publisher | New Blood Interactive |
| Steam App Id | 1229490 |
5. Lethal Company
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
Lethal Company has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 456,752 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 444,470 positive reviews and 12,282 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Lethal Company on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
6. BeamNG.drive
A dynamic soft-body physics vehicle simulator capable of doing just about anything.
BeamNG.drive has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 289,656 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 282,140 positive reviews and 7,516 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play BeamNG.drive on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
7. Dyson Sphere Program
Build the most efficient intergalactic factory in space simulation strategy game Dyson Sphere Program! Harness the power of stars, collect resources, plan and design production lines and develop your interstellar factory from a small space workshop to a galaxy-wide industrial empire.
Dyson Sphere Program has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 82,812 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 80,885 positive reviews and 1,927 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. At the moment, it is possible to play Dyson Sphere Program on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 1/21/2021 |
| Developer | Youthcat Studio |
| Publisher | Gamera Games |
| Steam App Id | 1366540 |
8. Rhythm Doctor
Save patients with your rhythm mastery! Rhythm Doctor is a rhythm game where you heal patients by defibrillating in time to their heartbeats. Learn each patient's unique heartbeat and defeat boss viruses trying to sabotage your rhythm, all set to heart-pumping, soul-soothing music.
Rhythm Doctor has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 20,575 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20,253 positive reviews and 322 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $15.99 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 | $15.99 |
| Release Date | 2/26/2021 |
| Franchise | 7th Beat Games |
| Developer | 7th Beat Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 774181 |
9. Satisfactory
Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!
Satisfactory has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 215,546 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 209,304 positive reviews and 6,242 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $31.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Satisfactory on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $31.99 |
| Release Date | 9/10/2024 |
| Franchise | Coffee Stain |
| Developer | Coffee Stain Studios |
| Publisher | Coffee Stain Publishing |
| Steam App Id | 526870 |
10. Subnautica
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive.
Subnautica has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 294,090 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 285,160 positive reviews and 8,930 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $29.99 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 | $29.99 |
| Release Date | 1/23/2018 |
| Franchise | Unknown Worlds |
| Developer | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
| Publisher | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 264710 |
More Early Access Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Early Access games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,597 | 10/20/2022 | 97 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 81,695 | 11/16/2018 | 97 | $3.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 3,799 | 8/1/2017 | 97 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,949 | 9/3/2020 | 97 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 19,436 | 10/23/2023 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 14,523 | 5/29/2015 | 96 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 3,950 | 1/21/2021 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 66 | 2/26/2021 | 96 | $15.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 20,489 | 9/10/2024 | 96 | $31.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 4,599 | 1/23/2018 | 96 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 4,428 | 6/28/2023 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 637 | 4/1/2023 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 4,459 | 9/15/2024 | 96 | $12.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 223 | 11/9/2023 | 95 | $9.74 | Steam Charts | |
 | 970 | 5/18/2017 | 95 | $17.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 744 | 8/15/2024 | 95 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 105 | 3/15/2022 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 26,907 | 9/18/2020 | 95 | $15.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 590 | 6/17/2024 | 95 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 2,875 | 11/22/2024 | 95 | $9.99 | 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, December 10). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 10). Vampire Survivors on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 6). Wallpaper Engine on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 13). Slime Rancher on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 9). ULTRAKILL on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 14). Lethal Company on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 12). BeamNG.drive on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 9). Dyson Sphere Program on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 14). Rhythm Doctor on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 14). Satisfactory on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Subnautica on Steam. Steam Store.