Steam Deck Verified/Playable Highlights 12/29/25 - 1/4/25

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The first week of January has passed, and now we can see which new Steam Deck Verified and Playable games have gotten their badges. The upcoming CAIRN and DuneCrawl got their Verified badges, while Lost Ember: Rekindled Edition, Inotia 4, and Girl Frame all got their Playable badges.

Here are the 8 highlights we found:

Verified or Playable games don't automatically mean they work amazingly out of the box. Some of these games may require work to optimize and play well. Here are our thoughts on the system and how it can be fixed.

Steam Deck Verified/Playable Highlights 12/29/25 - 1/4/25

CAIRN (Verified)

Reach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. Climb anywhere and plan your route carefully, managing pitons and resources to survive unforgiving Mount Kami. Discover what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the ascent of a lifetime.

The game will be released on January 29th and is rated Verified.

LOST EMBER: Rekindled Edition (Playable)

Explore the acclaimed animal adventure in never before seen beauty! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights or even climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, there are lots of ways of getting around.

The game is $29.99 and is rated Playable due to small in-game text, needing to manually bring up the virtual keyboard, and needing to manually change the graphical settings for optimal play.

Inotia 4 (Playable)

The grand adventure of Kiyan, assassin of the Dark Clan, and Yusha, saint of light, begins across the vast continent of Inotia. Experience an emotional story and thrilling, action-packed combat!

The game is free to play and is rated Playable due to small in-game text.

The Black Ice (Verified)

In a remote and mysterious research facility in Antarctica, an intense atmosphere of fear and death hangs in the air. In horror "The Black Ice", players find themselves exploring this haunting place alone, solving puzzles and fighting to stay alive as they face the chilling unknown.

The game is on sale for $13.49 until January 7th and is rated Verified.

Cozy Caravan (Verified)

Grab your backpack and climb on in, it’s time to hit the road! Head out on a gentle journey in your reliable old caravan, crafting hearty meals, running market stalls and sharing goodies with local townsfolk. Spread kindness, share, and help prepare for the annual Whizz Bang Fair!

The game is $19.99 and is rated Verified.

DuneCrawl (Verified)

DuneCrawl is an open world action-adventure game, where you take to the sandy seas atop a gigantic crustacean festooned with black powder cannons. Play as a solo Crab Keeper, or with a crew of up to three other friends in local and online coop.

The game will be released later today and is rated Verified.

On Your Hands (Playable)

On Your Hands is a game which seeks to merge complex puzzle mechanics with a creepy atmosphere and terrifying enemies. Can you use the seven unique magic types to make your way off a strange alien planet?

The game is $11.99 and is rated Playable due to showing incorrect controller icons, needing a community controller configuration, needing to set the display resolution manually, and small in-game text.

Girl Frame (Playable)

Girl Frame: A sci-fi meat-and-pigeon survival shooting game, control mechas to fight against the mutant tide of Crusus, manage your own space base, cultivate beautiful girl pilots, fast-paced mowing × dynamic strategic choices, and experience interstellar survival under the collapse of san value.

The game is on sale for $12.74 until January 7th and is rated Playable due to showing incorrect controller icons and small in-game text.

And that's all for this week's list! You can check out the previous week's list as well, which includes titles like Tomba! 2, Hail to the Rainbow, and Stardust Skate.

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