It’s that time of year again when we swear this time we’re only going to buy things we will actually play – Steam Sale time! The Steam Spring sale has kicked off, and anyone who has ever kept an eye on the deals trackers knows that it can be difficult not to get carried away. My library is littered with well-intentioned purchases that I’ve never had a chance to get to.
Well, let me share some of my experiences for games that I have managed to play. These are some of my favorite games available on Steam that make for a great handheld experience on the Steam Deck or via PC streaming to other handhelds. This isn’t a Top 5 or anything, just some games I had a great time with.
Pizza Tower
This game was sold to me by friends during the Winter 2023 Steam Sale as a must-play if you loved the Wario series. Not the WarioWare titles the character has become synonymous with lately, but rather the Warioland series that spanned across, GB/GBC/GBA and the Virtual Boy. 2D platforming action that has a very specific feel to its running and attacks. Pizza Tower takes this gameplay style and combines it with a smattering of Metroidvania for an addictive gameplay experience.
Pizza Tower on Steam Deck
Pizza Tower is in no way shy with its gameplay mechanic influences, but its unique hand-drawn in MS Paint-looking art style is all its own. The game is just fun to look at sometimes. It has a vibrant style and everything within its art feels vibrant and alive. I played it on the Steam Deck as well as via Android PC streaming. It’s a great title to dive into for 20 minutes at a time or for an evening’s play.
Dave the Diver
The first time I saw the gorgeous pixel-retro art style of Dave the Diver, I was in love. By the time I got to the end of the trailer and learned it also involved managing a sushi restaurant, I was sold. I had to play this game.
The first few hours delivered all the enjoyment that I had expected from preview snippets. What I did not expect to unfold was one of the funniest, constantly unfolding, engaging, and overall enjoyable RPG experiences I’ve had in memory. Dave the Diver was one of the first games I picked up after purchasing my Steam Deck. Not exactly a device showcased graphically, but I spent 40+ hours jumping comfortably between a handheld and docked experience. Every moment was enriched by its quirky writing, tone, and style, making for an unforgettable journey.
Vampire Survivors
“So it’s a bullet hell shooter, but I’m doing the shooting?” – Me
Vampire Survivors on Retroid Pocket 3
It starts with a simple enough premise explained by a friend, and the installation size isn’t bad, so why not check it out before bed? Then, you look down at your phone and realize you have to be up in four hours. “Just One More Run” was a tagline in the advertising for the game, and you quickly realize that its addictive roguelike gameplay loop causes you to think just that.
I actually played the majority of my time with Vampire Survivors on my Retroid Pocket 3. The simple pixel graphical style translates really well to the small screen and it’s a perfect experience for cloud streaming that doesn’t suffer if there’s a hint of input lag every now and again.
(Fun Fact: This deserved sensation was made by a solo developer while he was unemployed in 2020)
Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars
If you were fortunate enough to play The Messenger since its release in 2018, you were probably wondering what this team had next. What we got was not another action platformer, but something else entirely. If The Messenger started as a love letter to the Ninja Gaiden series, Sea of Stars certainly proudly wears its Chrono Trigger inspiration on its sleeve. A wholly original IP that met my high expectations and then some. Worth it for the story experience alone, but if you miss the turn-based battles of the 16-bit SNES era, this game is very much for you.
Which brings us directly to………
The Messenger
I Initially picked up Sabotage Studio’s first game on the Switch and later played it again on the Steam Deck after acquiring it in some long-forgotten bundle sale. I was so glad to go back a few years later and re-live that experience again after playing Sea of Stars. It was so rewarding to see little Easter eggs and nods placed throughout the lore and worlds shared by the two games. Things I never would have noticed the first time around.
This game combines Ninja Gaiden NES precision-controlled platforming with a presentation and graphical style that jumps between the 8 and 16-bit eras. If you have a love for old-school action platforming packaged with brilliantly witty writing, you should check The Messenger out.
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