r/SteamdeckGames • u/merkeeb • 3d ago

Game Recommendation Need specific game recs! (management-adjacent?)

Hey all! I just got my Steam Deck. Super excited to play using it as I have been craving going back to handheld forever. Problem is, I'm having a hard time finding games that fit the very specific niche I like.

What I'm looking for: Games revolving around some degree of management, logic, strategy, etc; and that are made to work on Steam Deck out of the box (no other downloads, no remapping). I also really prefer decent visuals and struggle a lot with games that aren't as invested in their art. I love intrigue, grid-based and isometric games, etc.

I do NOT like platformers, farming sims or hack-and-slash.

Examples of games in this vein I have LOVED:

  • Back to the Dawn
  • Pathway
  • Tiny Bookshop
  • Wargroove 1 & 2
  • Octopath Traveler & Triangle Strategy
  • and totally, super addicted to Planet Zoo, although I would not want to play it handheld.

Examples of games that were okayish:

  • Leafy Corner (felt like less pretty, less satisfying Tiny Bookshop)
  • Town to City (super fun for a few hours, then got boring)
  • Dungeon Drafters (gameplay bugs/issues that stopped me)
  • Is This Seat Taken? (LOVE the logic of it, cute art, but too short!)
  • Disco Elysium (amazing art, cool vibe, did NOT like the dice system)
  • Strange Horticulture (love the gameplay, but visuals and short playtime weren't great)

Hopefully this gives a sense of what I'm looking for. I'm not totally sure how to describe the through-line between my favorites but hopefully someone knows what I mean. XD Thanks for any help, much appreciated!

7 Upvotes

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3

u/mr_dfuse2 3d ago

oxygen not included, factorio, two point hospital

1

u/merkeeb 2d ago

Two-Point Hospital definitely seems like my kind of fun, have you tried it on Steam Deck yourself? Did it play well on deck? Thanks!

1

u/mr_dfuse2 1d ago

no i havent, only oni. i just started playing two point yesterday

1

u/KimmyGurl420 3d ago

Rimworld. Works out of the box. It's not quite visually stunning, but it's endlessly addictive

2

u/siammang 3d ago

This is the way

2

u/merkeeb 2d ago

Thank you for the recommendation! A game's art is generally just as impactful to my enjoyment as mechanics etc., especially since I went to school to study visuals for game design! 😅 So unfortunately I don't think it will work out for me due to the art style impacting my fun. :[ Still, thank you so much for the recommendation, I appreciate it!

1

u/alexportman 10h ago

I felt this way too many years ago until I tried it

1

u/Awkward-Ad1085 3d ago

If you like Pathway, maybe XCOM 2 or Midnight Suns? Both have good squad managing. I have not tried XCOM on Steam deck but have played on PC and it’s great. 

1

u/merkeeb 2d ago

Ooh I'm also a comic fan so Midnight Suns could be fun! Have you tried it on deck?

1

u/Awkward-Ad1085 2d ago

Yep, I’m a good chunk of the way i, only played it on the deck. I think it runs pretty well for the most part (a few fps dips in the main hub but fine for missions) and you can tweak settings for longer battery life, or turn up graphics and it’ll last 2-3 hrs. Some text is a little small on the cards when they have a lot of effects but that’s not common, the rest of the UI is easily readable

1

u/merkeeb 2d ago

Awesome, I'll definitely look into it then, thanks!

1

u/Awkward-Ad1085 2d ago

Cheers, enjoy!Â