Best Adventure Games for Steam Deck - Top Picks and ReviewsBest Adventure Games

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1 is a beautiful story with characters who are easy to care for. It’s a promising start to an adventure that already feels unique, yet unfortunately isn’t willing to challenge the emotions of its players.

Enhanced by expressively stylized graphics, unusual and intricate challenges, and professional voice-overs, Slender Threads tells a scary tale spiced with well-tempered humor.

Afterlove EP is a unique, genre-bending adventure that tackles its serious themes with care, its willingness to portray real emotion resulting in a story that feels meaningful whatever paths you take. The care extends beyond writing to its superb, distinctive sound and visuals, making for a labour of love that is consistently rewarding.

An entertaining introduction to the world of the famous gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin – Once a Thief features logical puzzles and intriguing storytelling.

Loco Motive is a wonderful interactive experience featuring stylish pixel art, an intricate mystery, humorous dialogs, and fantastic voice-overs.

Dustborn is a captivating narrative adventure that combines a rich, alternate history setting with diverse gameplay mechanics, delivering a memorable experience despite minor technical quirks.

Aside from its monochromatic graphics and the occasional user interface problem, Prim is quite polished – and its dialog, voice acting, and music is stellar.

Authentically Japanese, Last Time I Saw You has the feeling – if not the visuals – of a Studio Ghibli title, and it does carry an emotional impact. Light platforming challenges accompany this narrative-driven experience, which is admirably well-written and entertaining.

Whilst Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a great visual improvement on the original, an unequivocal recommendation for what is essentially a graphical update doesn’t really fit our rating system – especially not when certain other areas of the game could have been improved upon.

Though certainly not a conventional adventure game, Caravan SandWitch is fortified by interesting characters and an overarching, quest-driven tale. Puzzles involving navigation may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no combat, no death, and no timed challenges; frustrating at moments, but pretty chill. You will find it intriguing if you’re up for exploring and navigating landscapes with chunks of story on the side.

3 Minutes to Midnight’s high production values and vibrant, idiosyncratic world recall the best of classic adventures, but it often goes overboard and requires a steep level of commitment from players to get the most from it, dampening the fun factor.

Puzzle mavens, avid gardeners and admirers of sumptuous scenery will find much that is entertaining in Botany Manor’s unusual horticultural tableaus.

Riven is a remake that stays true to the original. While the breathtaking world and visuals adeptly draw you in, the initial obscurity of the story and puzzle complexity may eventually push you away from full engagement. Still, for those who have played and enjoyed the original, this is an excellent dive back into a spectacular world, and an opportunity to see how Cyan Worlds has enriched the original vision.

DigiTales Interactive has created a sci-fi whodunit hit with Between Horizons. Not only are the players tasked with solving an intricate investigation, but they are also thrown into a narrative that they shape through difficult choices that, once made, must be seen through to the end. It is a must-have game for anyone who loves mysteries and science fiction.

Tales from Candleforth is a solid, although brief, Room Escape-like adventure, with a few nightmarish scenes you may never forget.

Full of charm, beauty and challenge, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a magnificent embodiment of the famous book series that provided its inspiration.

Twilight Oracle is aimed at those who cherish the point-and-click classics from adventure gaming’s past. It features vividly surreal pixel-art graphics, a fantasy-based story, challenging puzzles and surprisingly delightful writing.

Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness is a nostalgic journey into the 1920s circus life full of hallucinations, paranoia, humor, horror, and found-family themes.

Shadows of Doubt is a unique detective sim in its use of procedural generation to guarantee that no two playthroughs are alike. It is not perfect, but overall it is one of the most well-crafted experiences that anyone, even detective game veterans, should play.

Chants of Sennaar meets the highest standards due to its finely crafted, original and addictive language-learning gameplay, and also its beautifully honed graphics and sonics. It’s a distinctively French feast for the eyes, ears and brain.

A Space for the Unbound is an example of an adventure story that will have the surprising and far-reaching power to move most people, whether or not they enjoy the ride the gameplay presents. It will particularly appeal to those players who have a fondness for the 16-bit console era, and those who like cats!

Season: A Letter to the Future stands as a relatively successful combination of exploration, documentation and philosophical meditation. Its surface beauty is matched by its depth of reflection, only marred by some repetitive gameplay elements and strange character design choices.

American Arcadia features a refreshing tale that shows how to “subvert expectations,” making the plot a standout hit when compared to more mainstream narratives. On top of that, the variance in gameplay and the exceptional presentation act as extensions and support for an already excellent narrative.

The Talos Principle 2 is a complex puzzle game with an equally multifaceted but engaging narrative featuring rational and religious undertones. There are a couple of control issues, and the unorthodoxy of certain puzzles may be too challenging for some players. This point may also be compounded by the game’s length, which can take 35 hours if only dealing with the main content, with side content adding several additional hours. Still, this is a gorgeous game well worth experiencing and an invigorating treat for puzzle game enthusiasts or philosophy majors.

The Invincible is a successful experiment in bringing a novel to life via the medium of gaming. With compelling dialogue and meaningful narrative, it’s an adventure in every sense of the word, as you trek across a beautiful planet to uncover its mysteries.

DREDGE is a one-of-a-kind fishing game with an interesting premise that keeps players engaged throughout. Though its ending leaves something to be desired, DREDGE shines in its ability to create an enveloping atmosphere through its appealing art, well-composed music, and entertaining gameplay.

Hollow Cocoon takes inspiration from other horror stealth games in all the right ways, with an effectively scary monster and beautiful environments that encourage roaming and lingering.

For a story told out of order, Universe for Sale is easy to follow and even easier to love.

Jusant is a thoughtful climbing puzzler with exceptional storytelling that makes for an understated triumph in a year full of high-profile game releases.

This is a beautifully presented adventure in the classic style that tries to set itself apart with a character-focused, twisty narrative, though it falls prey to some narrative clichés and frustrating puzzles. Overall, Monolith will likely win fans with its high overall production value but isn’t distinctive enough to leave a lasting impression.

Torn Away is the harrowing story of a child’s journey home from a labor camp during World War II, and every aspect of the game combines to present a bold and affecting narrative.

Wales Interactive has crafted a cleverly told tale within The Isle Tide Hotel. The mystery and choice-based scenarios blend deftly and promote multiple playthroughs, with the full-motion cinematography and performances adding to the experience.

For Rusty Lake fans, Underground Blossom hits all the right notes, and it can easily serve as a good introduction for those who are new to the series.

Blue Wednesday’s sturdy interface ties together beguiling graphics, outstanding jazz, and challenges that will realistically ground adventure gamers within an intimate, relatable narrative.

Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The London Case is an engrossing mystery brought to life by realistic graphics, well-executed music, and stellar voice acting.

GYLT is an atmospheric, beginner-friendly horror experience that channels classic tropes of the genre, but experienced players might need more to sink their teeth into.

STASIS: BONE TOTEM is a frightfully entertaining adventure with a story that carefully blends sacred elements with a dreadful atmosphere while drawing the player into challenges that are not overly difficult. If you are a horror fan or an open-minded gamer curious about the game’s unusual themes, this is an easy recommendation.

My Friendly Neighborhood is an old-school survival horror throwback with a delightfully refreshing premise and plenty of fun to be had.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is another spooky island adventure, and while there are aspects to be enjoyed, it ends up feeling a bit too much like its predecessor.

As you wander Firmament’s splendid landscapes, the narrative builds to a heartening finale—but be prepared to strenuously exercise your brain along the way.

Amnesia: The Bunker is another Frictional Games classic, pitting players against a truly terrifying foe while providing immersive elements that are constantly engaging. While the AI can leave a bit to be desired, the atmosphere and story will keep players on their toes.

Despite some maddening mini-games and a finicky autosave feature, Loretta delivers a gripping tale and chilling atmosphere with stunning graphics and music. Horror fans should check it out, but be prepared for some frustration along the way.

If you’re looking for a creepy mystery adventure game with less emphasis on traditional point-and-click mechanics, Children of Silentown could be for you. However, some bland characters hinder it, and most of the storyline is confined too long in one play area.

Lost in Play is an appealing, even mesmerizing adventure game with one of the best settings ever conceived and some very amusing puzzles. There are certain plot threads that are lacking, and the challenges can be arduous, even with the hint system. Still, this is an adventure game that is well worth experiencing.

Overall, Pentiment is a fantastic game with minor flaws that still impresses, even if the twist at the end of the second act is very difficult to accept. Despite being developed by a small team, Obsidian has demonstrated its ability to create an immersive and demanding game that blurs the line between art and gameplay.

Although the game’s relative brevity and linearity mean Wippra is not a town to explore and become fully involved in, The Plague Doctor of Wippra is still a fun adventure with effective use of historical and medical detail in its puzzles.