Valve has recently unveiled the top 100 most-played games on the Steam Deck between March 2023 and March 2024, based on the highest daily active player count.
The list is dominated by a diverse array of titles, ranging from massive AAA blockbusters to quirky indie darlings.
Topping the chart is the highly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3, which managed to claim the number one spot despite only being available for half of the time period covered.
The top 100 most-played games on Steam Deck are:
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Vampire Survivors
- Dave the Diver
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Elden Ring
- Palworld
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Stardew Valley
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Hades
- Brotato
- The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Slay the Spire
- Cult of the Lamb
- Dead Cells
- The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Monster Hunter: World
- Persona 5 Royal
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- Dredge
- Fallout 4
- No Man’s Sky
- Monster Hunter RISE
- Forza Horizon 5
- Resident Evil 4
- Balatro
- Diablo 4
- Hollow Knight
- Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
- Halls of Torment
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Helldivers 2
- Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition
- God of War
- Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
- Apex Legends
- Street Fighter 6
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Terraria
- Valheim
- Euro Truck Simulator 2
- Starfield
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GOTY Edition
- Warframe
- Project Zomboid
- Persona 3 Reload
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Sea of Stars
- Lethal Company
- Dark Souls 3
- NBA 2K23
- Marvel’s Midnight Suns
- Portal 2
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition
- Counter Strike 2
- Disco Elysium Final Cut
- Days Gone
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Stray
- Coral Island
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Final Fantasy 14 Online
- Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon
- Resident Evil 2
- Subnautica
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Path of Exile
- War Thunder
- Forza Horizon 4
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition
- Risk of Rain 2
- Yakuza 0
- The Sims 4
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Dark Souls: Remastered
- Persona 4 Golden
- Death Must Die
- Rimworld
- Powerwash Simulator
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Death Stranding Director’s Cut
- Borderlands 3
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Dead by Daylight
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Last Epoch
- 7 Days to Die
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink
- House Flipper
- Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Rocket League
Singleplayer Games Reign Supreme
One interesting takeaway from the list is the dominance of single-player games in the Top 20.
Except for Palworld, and partially GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Stardew Valley the top 20 is almost entirely comprised of single-player experiences.
This trend suggests that multiplayer support isn’t essential to ensuring a game’s success on the Steam Deck, contrary to a recent comment by Palworld CEO Takura Mizobe.
Big Games Find Success on the Small Screen
Another surprising observation is that people don’t seem to mind playing big, demanding games on the Steam Deck’s small screen even with not-so-good experiences.
Games like GTA5, Baldur’s Gate 3, Diablo 4, Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Fallout 4 are all among the most popular titles on the device, despite being chunky, immersive experiences that one might expect to be more suited for larger displays.
27 Games Not officially Verified for the Device
Verified games mean they have been tested and optimized by Valve to run flawlessly on the handheld.
According to Kotaku, out of the 100 most played games on Steam Deck, around 27 titles are either not officially verified or unsupported by Valve for the device.
Here is the list:
- Palworld
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Monster Hunter: World
- Fallout 4
- Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition
- Apex Legends
- Warframe
- War Thunder
- Borderlands 3
- Dead by Daylight
- 7 Days to Die
- House Flipper
- Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Starfield (Listed as “Unsupported”)
- Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon
- Subnautica
- Path of Exile
- Forza Horizon 4
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink
- Rocket League
- No Man’s Sky
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Helldivers 2
This highlights that Steam Deck users are willing to play games on the handheld even if they are not optimized, likely through community fixes or manual configuration.
Remasters and Remakes Revitalized on the Deck
The list features a notable number of remastered or remade versions of classic games, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, and the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
Changes from Valve’s Previous Steam Deck Most Played List
Comparing the current list to Valve’s previous ranking of the most-played games on Steam Deck in December 2023, there are a few notable changes.
Armored Core 6, Starfield, and Resident Evil 4, which were in the top “Platinum” category at the end of 2023, have all fallen out of the top 10 in the current ranking, while Half-Life has fallen out of the top 100 completely.
Spring Sale Offers Discounts on Top Steam Deck Games
If you’re a Steam Deck owner looking for new games to play, the vast majority of the games in this list are currently marked down as part of the 2024 Steam Spring Sale, which is live now and runs until March 21.
So, why grab a few of these top-played titles and see what all the fuss is about?
Reference: PC Gamer