The Steam Deck has, time and again, proven its worth as a one-size-fits-(almost)-all gaming solution on the go. Tackling genres such as roguelites, platformers, and racers with gusto. What of strategies, though? Can the Steam Deck play full-blooded strategy games, too, or do these titles make it fall flat?
As with most other things you’d want to play on the Deck, you do need to be a bit picky, but the machine is more than capable enough to run some of the best strategy games on the market. In fact, our list of top 10 Steam Deck strategies makes a point of highlighting some newer genre offerings that have been optimized specifically for handheld play. Not something you’d want to take for granted!
What are the best strategy games for the Steam Deck?
As much as we love true 4X and grand strategy titles, the simple truth is that games such as Stellaris and Total War just don’t work all that well on the Deck’s small display. True, the device comes with an in-built magnifier tool (STEAM key + L1), but relying on this gimmick over and over again is less than optimal. Our choices are, instead, focused on games that are a tad bit more streamlined than that, and which offer you ways to play them without squinting through UI complexities.
Top 10 Steam Deck strategy games
#10: Kingdoms and Castles
To begin with, Kingdoms and Castles is one of the newest city-building strategies on the market. Behind its simplistic visuals lies a surprisingly deep level of simulation that supports trading, warfare, and resource simulation on top of the cityscapes themselves, and it’s all been optimized from the ground-up for the Deck, specifically.
#9: Bloons TD 6
Bloons is, for the most part, an institution in and of itself. Easy to run, easy to understand, and satisfying to play, Bloons TD 6 is a mainstay for every tower defence fan. It just so happens that it works remarkably well on the Deck, too. Even better, as Bloons is also present on mobile phones and tablets, you can leverage your Deck’s touchscreen for most inputs if that’s your preference.
#8: XCOM 2
XCOM 2 is an edge case for the Steam Deck. Its UI doesn’t always lend itself to the small screen, for one, and it is a massive installation, which could make it a challenging choice for some users. Yet, what you’re getting here is nothing short of incredible: the entirety of XCOM 2 on the go, at a fairly stable performance envelope. Delightful!
#7: Two Point Campus
Two Point Campus, too, seems like something that shouldn’t really do great on a relatively small handheld device, but here we are. Not only is it easy to get either 40 or 60 FPS playing this game, but you’re also getting solid battery life, and the UI behaves better than you’d expect. On the OLED Deck, in particular, expect Campus’ trademark Wallace & Gromit visuals to truly pop.
#6: Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
One of themost notable examples of gamepad-oriented real-time strategy games works amazingly on the Steam Deck – who’d’ve thunked it! All cheekiness aside, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is lightweight and crisp in gameplay. More importantly, it works out of the box, which absolutely cannot be said for its often forgotten sequel.
#5: Desperados 3
Desperados 3 is a delight on the regular mouse ‘n’ keyboard combo, but we’ve got great news for those who aim to experience it on the Deck: it just works. You should have no issues running Desperados 3 at the highest settings on the Deck, and the game features an optimized control scheme that makes the gameplay loop a breeze. Is it perfect? Not quite, no, but it’s way better than we expected it to be!
#4: Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
What would this list be without at least one Fire Emblem type of experience? To fill the niche, you can hardly do better than this year’s Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga, which is widely regarded as one of the best examples of a developer handling the subject matter phenomenally well. The Nephilim Saga is a natural fit on the Deck, better still, making it a delightful choice even if you’re not keen on Fire Emblem in the first place.
#3: Against the Storm
Against the Storm fits neatly into the cadre of newer, more inventive and out-of-the-box strategy experiences on the market. By default, it is a great game, but what makes it a joy to play on the Deck are its customizable gamepad controls, the ability to bump-up the UI to usable levels, and great performance. The end result is a complete package and a game that we’d readily recommend to all strategy fans: especially if aim to play it on the Deck.
#2: Civilization 6
What could possibly be said about Civilization 6 that hasn’t already been said a thousand times over? The game is good – everyone knows that much. The fact that it runs and plays remarkably well on the Deck is a bit less self-evident, granted. You’re getting great graphics and performance, a totally usable UI, and a control scheme that lends itself really, really well to the Deck. We’d go so far as to suggest Civilization 6 is a must-play on the Deck, even.
#1: Into the Breach
The first spot simply had to go to something streamlined and elegant: a game boiled down to the very essence of strategy combat and progression. Into the Breach is, for sure, a phenomenal choice. This game sips power and runs flawlessly on the Deck, and you’re never going to have to use the magnifier tool. Into the Breach can also be played in very short bursts, if you choose to do so. In this case, the Deck’s hibernation feature is a natural fit, allowing you to jump in and out of the game whenever you have the chance to do so!
