The Steam Deck has quickly become a popular platform for playing role-playing games on the go. With its built-in controls, handheld design, and ability to run high-end PC titles, Valve‘s new device lets you immerse yourself in sprawling fantasy worlds or quirky indie adventures wherever you roam.
To help RPG fans pick out the cream of the crop, we‘ve compiled this list of the 10 best RPGs on the Steam Deck today. From lush open worlds to strategic combat, these games showcase just what makes the genre so magical.
10. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Disco Elysium puts a wholly unique spin on the RPG formula. You play as a detective who has completely lost his memory during a drug-fueled bender. It‘s up to you to solve a high-profile murder case while also figuring out exactly who your character is.
With its flowing dialogue trees and imaginative skill system, Disco Elysium emphasizes roleplaying opportunities over combat. It‘s essentially a mystery visual novel fused with an RPG‘s character progression. This style of gameplay makes it a perfect fit for the Steam Deck‘s pick-up-and-play potential.
You can try out dozens of wild character builds, internalize ridiculous thoughts to buff key stats, and meet an offbeat cast of characters. Disco Elysium is ideal for gamers who want great writing over bombastic spectacle.
9. Divinity: Original Sin 2
In terms of sheer content and gameplay freedom, Divinity: Original Sin 2 has no equal among isometric RPGs. With over 100 hours of quests to complete, an overflowing spellbook to master, and enemies who fight just as cleverly as you do, Divinity incentivizes experimentation from your first steps out of character creation.
The Steam Deck controls map nicely to Divinity‘s point-and-click-driven combat. You can manage inventory or zoom around environments easily with the touchpads and buttons. It‘s perfect for settling down with the Deck to strategize your next big battle. With full cross-save compatibility, you can even transfer your progress back and forth between PC and Deck.
Few games can match the depth of Divinity‘s character builds and combat encounters. If you want a genuinely reactive world to explore at your leisure, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is easily one of the Steam Deck‘s best RPG options.
8. Persona 5 Royal
While Persona 5 Royal is a more traditional turn-based JRPG than some others on this list, its stylistic flair makes it a must-try all the same. You‘ll alternate between fighting shadows in dungeons and living out everyday high school life. The social sim parts let you form relationships with characters and unlock new battle perks.
Thanks to some smart control tweaks on the Steam Deck, the game plays wonderfully in handheld mode. You can fully control both exploration and combat with the touchpads and buttons. Nothing gets lost in translation.
Vibrant menus and slick animated cutscenes look fantastic on the Deck‘s screen as well. If you missed out on Persona 5 Royal when it was trapped on PlayStation, the Deck version will let you play this acclaimed JRPG on the go.
7. Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise brings the satisfying grind of Capcom‘s beast-slaying franchise perfectly over to Steam Deck. With 14 unique weapon types to try out and colossal monsters to topple in co-op, Rise offers near endless replay value for hunting fanatics.
Its colorful fantasy environments display beautifully on the handheld screen as you track down targets and learn their attack patterns. Meanwhile, the touchpads give you precise control over both character and camera movement mid-fight.
Rise also introduces several new mobility options such as the Wirebug tools. These additions make exploration even more fluid, complementing the snappy combat against UrAGAAN, Mizutsune, and other imposing foes. Monster Hunter Rise serves as the Monster Hunter series‘ handheld debut, and it doesn‘t disappoint.
6. Elden Ring
The runaway hit of 2022, Elden Ring brings Hidetaka Miyazaki‘s signature tense Souls-like combat into a vast open fantasy realm that begs to be explored inch by inch. Graceful swordplay, nuanced magic systems, nightmarish bosses…Elden Ring conjures up many of the ingredients that make RPG combat so thrilling to master.
Thanks to extensive controller support options, Elden Ring feels great when played portably on Steam Deck. You can customize stick sensitivity and button mappings to your exact preferences across different weapon types.
While you‘ll face a steep challenge, the journey itself harbors many surprises beyond raw difficulty. Elden Ring stands as FromSoftware‘s most ambitious RPG yet – a sprawling realm mixing melancholy and mystery against a backdrop of fallen kingdoms. At over 100 potential hours of adventure, the Deck gives you the flexibility to chip away at this epic however you please.
5. Stardew Valley
The charming indie farming sim Stardew Valley first released years ago, but still remains one of the best RPG experiences you can grab on Steam Deck today. With no time limits or strict objectives beyond developing your homestead over time, Stardew thrives on the platform thanks to its flexible play style.
You‘re free to focus on growing crops, mining caves, raising animals, fishing ponds, befriending townsfolk, and countless other activities across seasons. The touchpads grant superb control when using tools and managing your farm. It leads to very fluid gameplay complemented by Stardew‘s cute pixel art style.
While much lighter on story and combat than most entries here, Stardew Valley perfects the relaxing charm an RPG can produce when you find harmonic flow. Its depth emerges not through battle statistics but the care you put into your new community. Stardew Valley remains a must-try for RPG fans craving a peaceful yet engaging adventure.
4. Octopath Traveler
Drawing direct inspiration from SNES-era RPG greats like Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger, Octopath Traveler mixes retro charm with modernSquare Enix polish. You play as eight unique adventurers progressing through their own storylines and special abilities.
With its intricate 2D/3D hybrid visuals, Octopath looks stunning in handheld mode and runs smoothly across areas. The turn-based battles have underlying systems you can manipulate for big damage once you wrap your head around theJOB system.
But the beating heart of Octopath remains its ensemble cast. With eight journeys unfolding against a sweeping soundtrack, you‘re bound to find at least a couple party members who capture your imagination in this anthology adventure. Octopath Traveler typifies so much of what works when updating classic RPG elements for current hardware.
3. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Yes, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is justthat good – we had to include Larian Studios‘ masterpiece here twice. While it delivers an incredible RPG journey regardless of platform, the Steam Deck allows you to experience its brilliance in short portable bursts rather than marathon PC sessions.
With full cross-progression between systems, you can play on PC then transfer to picking up quests on the couch, in line at the DMV, or wherever fits into your schedule. Few games marry intricate combat, environmental interactivity, humor, and player choice as well as Divinity does.
Approaching or even surpassing 100 hours for a single playthrough, Divinity: Original Sin 2 belongs in any Steam Deck owner‘s library if they enjoy pushing an RPG‘s systems to their limits. It‘s an easy contender for the deepest and most rewarding RPG available on the system.
2.Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers a perfect blend of tactical grid-based combat, visual novel character growth, and time management features spread across its many hours – a potent mix for portable play. You enroll as a professor at the Officer‘s Academy, with students splitting intoEagles, Lions, and Deer houses vying for your attention as they hone battle skills.
Once you select a house and grow students‘ stats based on your instruction focus each week, you take the team into turn-based maps against thieves, monsters, and eventually other nations. Support conversations unlock more backstory on each team member.
With four distinct narrative paths based on your house, Fire Emblem: Three Houses encourages replayability. It features the tactical polish theFire Emblem series is known for alongside more RPG customization options than ever before. Three Houses stands as the Switch‘s Fire Emblem masterpiece – and feels just as good when playing on your Steam Deck.
1. Elden Ring
Yes, we‘re giving FromSoftware‘sgenre-defining epic Elden Ring the crown yet again! A game this meticulously crafted and replayable deserves all the praise one can heap onto it. In a vast realm where threats hide behind every corner, you‘ll test your RPG combat prowess against soldiers, misbegotten warriors, manifestations of decay incarnate, and dozens of other lethal foes.
With an intricate collection of weapon skills to learn, Ash summons to collect, spells to unlock, and even craftable items that modify your movesets, Elden Ring harbors staggering depth beneath its grand quest. The Steam Deck controls map wonderfully to its third-person action as you stare down mythical dragons, bloodthirsty demigods, and grace-defying gangs of invaders.
While crushingly difficult at times, victory brings a euphoria few gaming accomplishments can match. Elden Ring sets the high watermark for what an open world action RPG can achieve by directly fusing storytelling and gameplay into one symbiotic, treacherous landscape. It‘s the definitive Steam Deck RPG that belongsin any hungry roleplayer‘s collection.
The Steam Deck has quickly proven itself as an incredible platform for fans of engrossing role-playing game worlds to get lost in. Its controls and display lend themselves perfectly to whittling away at sprawling fantasy adventures whether curled up on the couch or adventuring out in the wider world.
With masterful epics like Elden Ring and Divinity: Original Sin 2 leading the charge, the future looks bright for portable RPG experiences that stand shoulder to shoulder with even premium home console titles. We hope this list helps all you roaming gamers discover incredible RPG gems to install next during your travels!
