Just like Shaun is doing for Nintendo Switch, and following my huge list of the best iPhone and iPad games discounted for the holiday season, I’ve put together a curated list of the 20 best Steam Winter Sale 2023 game discounts for you to consider for your Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED. There are thousands of games discounted, so consider this list full of games that are all worth your time on Steam Deck. These are in no particular order as usual, but features a good mix of the best games you likely have heard of, and some you will discover today.
Chained Echoes ($18.74 from $24.99)
Chained Echoes remains one of the best surprises in recent years, and is my favorite throwback JRPG-style indie game. I love the music, story, gameplay, and pacing, and remain impressed at how much fun it is to go back to on multiple platforms for replays. Chained Echoes is a game that understands why people love JRPGs and delivers in spades. I have no hesitation in recommending it, and it is shockingly good for the asking price. I know there are loads of throwback JRPGs that just focus on the presentation and turn-based combat, but few manage to reach the absolute highs that Chained Echoes does. It is a damn fine experience that deserves its spot with the greats.
Elden Ring ($35.99 from $59.99)
Elden Ring is one of FromSoftware’s best games ever, and it is shockingly good on Steam Deck. The world, boss design, and immersion is incredible in Elden Ring, and it was worth more than full price. I liked it enough to buy it on all platforms, and it is an absolute steal at 40% off. While the gorgeous world is a sight to behold on a nice TV or monitor, I enjoyed dipping into it on the go thanks to the Steam Deck and can safely recommend it there.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne Master Edition ($19.78 from $59.98)
With Monster Hunter Wilds set for release in 2025, now is a great time to jump into the best Monster Hunter game alongside Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate with Monster Hunter World Iceborne Master Edition on Steam. This includes the base game and the superlative expansion together, and the game has been seeing an online resurgence on PC recently. If you’re new to the genre, there’s no better way to jump in, and the discount price makes it an even better deal than before.
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition ($51.04 from $89.98)
Cyberpunk 2077 launched in a pretty rough state, but has been fixed since. It is one of those mind blowing things to see running on a Steam Deck, and the developers did a great job translating the open world RPG to Valve’s handheld. The Phantom Liberty expansion is icing on the cake with its narrative. If you held off on the game or own it on console, cross save and the discount now makes it an easy recommendation on Steam Deck.
Fate/Samurai Remnant ($44.99 from $59.99)
While Fate/Samurai Remnant doesn’t have a huge discount, it is one of my favorite games of 2023 across PS5 and Steam Deck. This is the first time it has been discounted on Steam, and is one of Koei Tecmo’s better games in recent years. If you’re new to the Fate franchise or a longtime fan, Fate/Samurai Remnant is excellent from start to finish, and it has been a joy replaying it recently. I can’t wait for the DLC to arrive in the future.
Persona 5 Royal ($29.99 from $59.99
Just like Elden Ring, I feel like Persona 5 Royal is the next game everyone I know has been playing on Steam Deck since it launched. I’ve played Persona 5 through its base release on PS4, then Persona 5 Royal on PS4, then Persona 5 Royal on Steam Deck and Switch. I love it, and this version of the game includes all prior paid DLC at no added cost. It also happens to be a great showcase for the Steam Deck OLED if you have one. Either way, Persona 5 Royal is best experienced on Steam Deck when looking at portables, and I can’t recommend it enough.
God of War ($24.99 from $49.99
Sony’s God of War hitting PC was still a huge deal, and it brought one of the platform holder’s best games ever to PC with a stellar conversion. It impressed me on replays on my laptop, but I adore it on Steam Deck. It also is the best way to sample one of the best PlayStation games ever on Steam Deck with its massive discount. Even if you played it on PS4 or PS5 before, the PC version is worth grabbing to replay on Steam Deck.
Diablo IV ($41.99 from $69.99)
I’ve written about how awesome Diablo IV is on Steam Deck a few times now, and the game has improved quite a bit since launching earlier this year. The only caveat is that it is an online-only game so keep that in mind if you want to play on the go outside your house. I usually tether my Steam Deck to my phone to play Diablo IV outside the house. With all of its updates and the awesome campaign, Diablo IV is worth your time, and the discount makes it well worth considering if you skipped it before. Diablo IV has full cross play and cross progression so you can even treat this like a way to play on the go while you play on your TV via console at home.
Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition ($13.49 from $44.99)
While everyone is likely obsessed with (for good reason) Baldur’s Gate 3 right now, Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition is an essential regardless of platform. I played it on every platform, and think it shines the most on a modern iPad or Steam Deck. It controls perfectly and even supports cross save with iPad and Switch on Steam. Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition might be one of the best RPGs of all time, and is Larian’s most polished release yet with all its updates and features. The asking price is too low to not buy right now.
Street Fighter 6 ($39.59 from $59.99)
Another Steam Deck feature, another mention for the best damn modern fighting game available today. I’m literally playing Street Fighter 6 right now. Well, I have it paused on my PS5 while I write this feature before getting back to it to play online. Street Fighter 6 is Capcom’s best fighting game since Third Strike, and a superlative package overall. It was always worth full price and shines on Steam Deck, but the discount gives me another excuse to get you to try it out. There’s a demo available if you want to see how it looks and runs before buying.
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Complete Edition ($12.49 from $49.99)
Despite Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty being the new(ish) hotness, CDPR’s The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is incredible, and I adored finally playing it on Switch and PC when it hit the platform. Since it has cross save, I brought my save to Steam Deck, and have found my favorite version of this masterpiece of an RPG. The Witcher 3 is a once in a generation experience that I recommend to everyone with all of its updates and DLC available right now.
HADES ($12.49 from $24.99)
Supergiant Games’ Transistor might be my favorite game from the studio, but HADES is close. The roguelike dungeon crawler has amazing gameplay, magnificent music, brilliant characters, and Supergiant’s signature style all over the place. It is an essential at full price, and has never been easier to recommend at its discount and with how good it plays on Steam Deck.
Vampire Survivors ($3.74 from $4.99)
Vampire Survivors should just be pre-loaded onto every Steam Deck by now, but it still hasn’t happened. The game is already really cheap and delivers immense value across the base game and all expansions, but now is a great time to get it all if you haven’t already. Vampire Survivors is the Steam Deck killer app despite being available on just about every platform. I can’t recommend it enough, and it is best on Steam Deck as well with full 16:10 support.
Octopath Traveler II ($41.99 from $59.99)
Octopath Traveler II is Square Enix’s best JRPG since the PS2 days with its stunning HD 2D aesthetic, amazing narrative, superlative music, and brilliant combat. It improved on just about everything from the original game, and is a completely standalone experience despite the name. This one has a demo as well, and you need to see how good it looks and feels on Steam Deck yourself. I liked this one enough to buy it on all platforms before, and I’m confident anyone who even has the remotest interest in turn-based RPGs will adore Octopath Traveler II.
No Man’s Sky ($29.99 from $59.99)
No Man’s Sky is the gift that keeps on giving, and it is a game I own and play on every platform. Just like Street Fighter 6, I’ll be recommending it every chance I get, because it is that good, and continues to improve with each content update. While the launch state of the game wasn’t ideal, it now has at least three or four games worth of quality content, and is one of the most relaxing games available. I jump into it a few times a week and have it installed on every platform. On the portable side, it shines on Steam Deck, and is worth grabbing.
Hi-Fi Rush ($22.49 from $29.99)
Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush is a game I haven’t stopped thinking about since finishing it back in January. It feels like an all-timer, and I’ve played it multiple times across Steam Deck and Xbox Series X since launch. If you enjoy action games and rhythm games, Hi-Fi Rush will be your new obsession. Get it now.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles ($15.99 from $39.99)
Capcom’s Ace Attorney franchise is legendary, and I always enjoy revisiting the games across ports. Out of all of them, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is my favorite, and one of Capcom’s best releases in years. This duology should basically be considered the best single adventure game release in terms of quality and value in ages, and is the best entry point into Ace Attorney. It is amazing regardless of where you play it, and it shines on a portable. Grab it on Steam Deck and Switch while you, like me, wait for an iPad version.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Bundle ($20.23 from $34.98)
Dead Cells with its Return to Castlevania expansion hit all platforms, but the game remains best on Steam Deck thanks to it getting updates first, and also because it has literally no issues on the system. Every other version has some sort of performance issue or a caveat. Dead Cells on Steam Deck is perfect, and is more than worth full price. With its discount now, you owe it to yourself to grab one of the greats.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero ($29.99) and Trails to Azure ($35.99)
While the PC platform has Trails in the Sky, the best entry point, the modern ports of Trails from Zero and Azure together form my favorite duology ever in RPGs, and these two serve as another fantastic entry point into this amazing JRPG series from Falcom with their superb stories, memorable characters, brilliant music, and more. Out of all versions of these games across platforms, Steam Deck and Switch are the best ways to play these two Falcom masterpieces.
Pentiment ($13.39 from $19.99)
While most people love Obsidian Entertainment for games like Fallout New Vegas or the amazing Pillars of Eternity, the historical narrative-driven Pentiment is my favorite by far. It has a stunning aesthetic, great music, and superb storytelling. It also feels perfect on Steam Deck, and I can’t imagine playing it on another platform now. Make sure to read my lengthy interview about Pentiment with the legendary Josh Sawyer here. This one’s beyond special.
Bonus
The Yakuza Collection Bundle ($42.00 from $139.93)
I promise I’m not just including this to convince Jared to start playing the games, but with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (the 8th mainline game) arriving next month, now is a great time to stock up on prior games if you don’t have them. The Yakuza Collection Bundle includes Yakuza 0 (the best entry point), Yakuza Kiwami (a remake of Yakuza 1), Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of Yakuza 2), Yakuza 3,4,5 (remastered), and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (best on PC) for a very low asking price. You obviously won’t be able to beat them all by next month, but let this serve as a reminder to consider getting into SEGA’s best franchise. Yes, I don’t regret saying that.
As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.
