Steam 2024 Winter Sale Hidden Gems For Your Steam Deck

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The Steam Winter Sale is in full swing, and I have been combing the catalog for the hidden gems that deserve your time and money! While some of my faves return from the Autumn Sale recommendations in this edition, I have some new, awesome titles to share with you all. So grab some snacks and grab a bargain!

For more recommendations to check out, you can see Part 1 and Part 2 of our general recommendations and our Under $15 recommendations.

Alekon - $3.19 (80% off)

Photograph dozens of whimsical creatures, solving puzzles to get them to strike collectable poses! Then befriend them through unique quests and minigames. This is the PC version of Pokemon Snap, but with more varied gameplay and some excellent visual design. At this price tag, Alekon is an easy purchase.

It is rated Steam Deck Verified, has full controller support, and runs great, although it is surprisingly intensive on the battery.

BROK The Investigator - $9.99 (50% off)

An innovative adventure mixed with beat 'em up and RPG elements. In a grim world where animals have replaced mankind, what kind of detective will you be? BROK the Investigator blew me away on launch, and its mix of great writing and gameplay makes it an easy recommendation. You get to punch people as a crocodile detective. Do I need to say any more?

The game is rated Steam Deck Verified, has controller support, and doesn't have any issues running on the Deck.

Chromosome Evil 2 - $15.99 (20% off)

I cannot put it into words how much I enjoy this game. Not only is it my Hidden Gem winner for 2024, but it only just missed my Top 5 games of the year. Dive deep into this Lovecraft-inspired RTS survival. It's up to you to survive the onslaught of nightmares that are surely coming your way. Chromosome Evil 2 is a true hidden gem, and it deserves more eyes on it. The developer is actively adding content to the game, and this is a deep game packing a lot of depth.

The game is rated Steam Deck Playable due to needing a community controller configuration, showing incorrect controller icons, and small in-game text. Despite these flaws, it is an enjoyable experience on the Deck, although it lacks Cloud save support.

Ctrl Alt Ego - $9.99 (50% off)

Innovative genre mashup (first-person immersive sim puzzler FPS RPG) with emphasis on problem-solving. One of the best games of 2022, as well as my personal GOTY. Ctrl Alt Ego is a brilliant immersive sim with intelligent writing, and will test your creativity.

The game is rated Unknown, but it does have controller support and will hit at least 40 FPS on low to mid settings. It is a solid experience on the Steam Deck, although it requires a high TDP to maintain steady frame rates.

Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum - $9.74 (25% off)

A top-down hacking RPG, do not let the simple graphics fool you. It has so many ways to play, my personal favorite being the necromancy power. Sending armies of animated meat to kill my enemies while I hack the computer I need for my contract pay? Where do I sign? It is in Early Access, but there is a lot of content already, and this game excels at emergent gameplay.

While the Steam Deck rating is unknown, I’ve had great experiences playing it on the Deck without forcing any Proton Compatibility and using a Keyboard and Mouse controller profile. If there’s enough interest I will happily do a review of it!

Empires Shall Fall - $8.44 (35% off)

If you dislike the lack of Advance Wars on PC, Empires Shall Fall might be a cool pick. It has all the features a chunky turn-based war game can hope for, and it has some fun mechanics such as supply lines and player upgrades that shake things up enough to keep things interesting. Plenty of skirmish maps and a map editor add plenty of replayability.

Empires Shall Fall is Steam Deck Verified.

Endgame: Road to Salvation - $5.99 (50% off)

A high-octane road trip through a besieged world during a demon-infested zombie apocalypse. Rescue survivors, form a caravan, call in various support drops or air strikes, and much more. I picked this game up a few months back and it has rapidly become one of my go-to survival games. Incredible value for the price you pay.

The game doesn't have a Steam Deck rating, but it does have controller support. It is playable on the Deck with Proton GE.

Fractal Block World - $4.89 (30% off)

A massive exploration/puzzle game in a surreal block universe. Developed by a two man team since 2021, it continues to receive chunky updates and is packed chock full of secrets. It takes up almost zero disk space and contains a world larger than a galaxy, so if you fancy a weird puzzle experience, Fractal Block World is worth looking into.

The game is rated Steam Deck Playable due to showing incorrect controller icons, sometimes requiring the use on the on-screen keyboard, and might need to tinker with the controller profiles, but it is an enjoyable experience on the Deck nonetheless.

Intergalactic Fishing - $3.74 (75% off)

This is a fishing game set across the cosmos, and it was far more addicting than I expected. The ability to create your own lures and the procedurally generated types of fish makes a fantastic blend between realistic fishing mechanics and fantasy. There’s no downside or cost to teleport to different lakes and seas across the universe, so if you have no luck in one place, go somewhere else.

It’s slow-paced, and it can take a while to catch things, but it’s a great experience on the Steam Deck with full controller support.

Makis Adventure - $4.99 (50% off)

Fight, dash, swim and bite your way through 3 different dungeons. Let the inner shark out! Face many different opponents and defeat powerful foes. The developer is actively working on the game and I have had great enjoyment seeing his gamedev updates.

It doesn't have a rating yet, but we can confirm it is fantastic to play on the Deck.

Mech Armada - $3.99 (80% off)

Create and command custom Mechs to outmaneuver The Swarm in this post-apocalyptic tactical turn-based rogue-lite. Leverage the terrain, learn each Mech's unique skills and use strategy and resources to survive the increasingly difficult waves of enemies. A lot of variation and some great game modes makes Mech Armada a delight to play.

It is rated Steam Deck Verified and has controller support. It also has a great ProtonDB rating, so there shouldn't be any issues playing this on the go.

Our Adventurer Guild - $11.24 (25% off)

It may have Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam, but I still feel this game falls under many people’s radars. It left Early Access in April, and the successful 1.0 launch has really helped developer Greenguy get this game out there. It is an excellent party-based RPG with lovely hand drawn graphics, some hilarious writing that made me laugh throughout, and diverse maps.

A recent update makes it fully Steam Deck compatible, and there are plans for future mod support.

Quest Master - $14.99 (25% off)

We now officially have Zelda dungeon makers at home with Quest Master! Launching in May this year in Early Access, this is a robust level editor game packing a ton of tools, wrapped up in a solid action-adventure package. It already has thousands of community levels, with a hub world and several fun minigames to dig into while you make your own worlds.

It’s a great price for the amount of fun on hand, and it is fully playable on the Steam Deck.

Soulash 2 - $15.19 (20% off)

Soulash 2 is a sandbox RPG roguelike with a procedurally generated open world, simulated history, skill-based progression system, customizable abilities, material-based crafting, building, and trading. It is in active development with some huge updates in the works.

The game is rated Playable due to showing incorrect controller icons, needing to manually bring up the virtual keyboard, small in-game text, and not supporting the Deck's native display resolution. It doesn't have controller support directly, but with a good controller configuration, it should be an enjoyable experience.

subROV: Underwater Discoveries - $15.99 (20% off)

Pilot a remotely operated submarine and explore the oceans in this incredibly immersive underwater sim. The interface really feels like you are out there as a researcher, uncovering the mysteries of the depths. There is not much else like it on the market. Dives can take a long time to complete, so remember to have some drinks and snacks while you explore!

subROV: Underwater Mysteries is Verified on the Steam Deck.

Tales from the Dancing Moon - $5.99 (50% off)

A slice of life RPG that launched in Early Access last December, players are dropped into a parallel world straight out of UK culture. While it is a little rough around the edges, I deeply appreciate the role-playing and life-sim mechanics present in the game. Pick it up at its highest discount yet.

Tales from The Dancing Moon is Verified on the Steam Deck.

Terror of Hermasaurus - $5.54 (55% off)

If you liked the Rampage franchise of old, you might be interested in this one. Players get to wipe out cities with a host of giant monsters while the happy scientists who created them cackle with glee. This is a great beat em up game with plenty of content.

Terror of Hermasaurus is Steam Deck Verified and is a great experience, although it will require a high TDP to keep performance smooth.

Vampire Therapist - $11.24 (25% off)

Designed with the advice from professional therapists, Vampire Therapist is a fantastic visual novel with some of the most well written characters I've experienced. Team up with a 3,000 year old vampire to help fellow vampires with their inner demons, while tackling your own. The voice acting is exceptional.

Vampire Therapist is Playable on the Steam Deck, with the only issue coming from potentially small in-game text, but otherwise it plays great by my own experiences.

And those are just the highlights! With so many games on offer, there should be something for everyone. For more recommendations to check out, you can see Part 1 and Part 2 of our general recommendations and our Under $15 recommendations.

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