Fanatical Gift Guide - Best Steam Deck Verified Games to Gift Someone this Holiday

With the Steam Deck becoming more available all the time, we thought it would be helpful to give you some ideas on what to gift your friends this holiday season. All games on our list are fully verified to work on the Steam Deck. However, it is worth noting that the more demanding the game, the faster you’ll be reaching to plug in the Steam Deck’s power cable. 

With that said, here is our list of the best eight games you can gift for the Steam Deck.

First on our list is Bend Studios’ Days Gone. Prepare to embark on a post-pandemic adventure: a deadly virus has mutated the world's population into zombie-like monsters. This open world explores the life of Deacon St. John, a former gang member who is used to taking on the open road with his motorcycle. Even after the pandemic, his bike is still an important part of his character — there is just a lot more to worry about then a deer jumping out at him.  

The original DOOM from 1993 was the very first game I ever played. Fortunately, the developers (iD Software) behind DOOM were not ready to abandon the franchise that they started so long ago. The result was them essentially rebooting the IP and giving us DOOM (2016). If you have not heard of this game then you must have been living under a rock the last few years. From the internet memes to the parodies (“when the DOOM music kicks in”), DOOM (2016) reminded us about the epic brutality of slaying hordes of demons while wearing a green, armoured combat suit and picking up some really big effing guns along the way. 

If you like a challenge and yearn for the old days, when videogames were merciless to their fans, well then I have just the game. Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc. presents us with what feels like a blast from the past: Cuphead gives us beautifully hand-drawn graphics reminiscent of the rubber hose style of animation used back in the 1920s and 1930s. Cuphead and his brother Mugman must travel across the Inkwell Isles to collect souls for a dubious cause. 

What can be said about God of War other than how it's an epic tale of combat and emotions? Kratos the Greek god of war has made a home for himself outside the realm of Olympians: it is within the domain of the Norse Gods and the planes they rule over that he has sought a place to put his past behind him. But in this button-smasher of combos, rolls, and divine artefacts peace is a rarity. Even with his son (Atreus) now in tow, Kratos, it seems, is destined to forever be a force of destruction. 

It seemed like every Spider-Man videogame for the longest time had been nothing but a playable version of a recently released film. They could vary in quality greatly, going from awful to okay, but never to amazing (yes I did just poke fun at The Amazing Spider-Man 2 videogame) — at least until Insomniac Games had their go at it. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is an open-world masterpiece, and a tribute to what Spider-Man can bring to the gaming community. This remastered version comes with all of the DLC available for the game. Expect to be swinging through the streets of Manhattan for about 30 hours to finish everything.

I won’t lie: I am a massive Star Wars fan. Ask me anything, even something obscure about the lore of the galaxy far, far away and chances are good I would have an answer for you. But if you had asked if I thought LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was going to be as great as it is, sadly, and to my shame I would have bet against it. This fantastic Star Wars videogame entry may be built out of blocks, but its funny retelling of the Skywalker saga and fluid gameplay makes it one of the best games the franchise has had in a long time. For that reason it takes the number one spot on our list for Steam Deck gift ideas.

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