The best deck builder games for the Steam Deck

While the controls on the Deck work pretty fine for most genres, there's something innately relaxing about sitting back and playing with the touch screen. And few games are quite as suited to this purpose as deck builders.

So here are some of the best deck builder games you can play on the Steam Deck.

Which are the best deck builder games on the Steam Deck?

Slay the Spire

Nothing comes close to this—one of the original roguelike deck builders. While there were games in the genre before, Slay the Spire kickstarted the overall idea. Many have tried to imitate it, but few have come close. Choose one of the starting characters and prepare for a long sequence of fights while you try to climb to the top of the spire.

However, the path you choose will be the key to success, since your chosen strategy is the only difference between a successful climb and a miserable failure. Every encounter, event, and path on the spire map presents opportunities for risk and reward.

Are you going to take a chance on a mysterious event, and perhaps get your hands on rewards and boons, or stick to a safer route with no rewards in sight? With a unique 2D graphic style, atmospheric music, and lore far deeper than it might seem at first, Slay The Spire remains the best game in the genre. It runs great on the Deck, and both the touch screen and controls are a joy to use.

Wildfrost

With an overwhelming slew of positive reviews, this is another great addition to your collection of deckbuilders. Wildfrost will have you thinking about which cards to add to your deck and which ones to use in battles.

Each journey starts by choosing a leader for your flock, with each one bringing its very own skills and unique stats. You then start your trek in the wild frozen lands, trying to survive and find companions that can help you along the way.

With a cute art style and an overall clean look, this is perfect for fans of the genre who want to bring their decks on the go. Indeed, Wildfrost works perfectly well on the Steam Deck and is verified.

Stacklands

Do you want to build your deck using people, buildings, and food instead of cards? Then you are ready to establish your own medieval settlement in Stacklands. Open packs of cards to add villagers, resources, buildings, and tasks to your settlement. But that’s not all, since stacking them in creative ways will be the main mechanic used to grow your little village while enjoying a wonderful sense of discovery.

Help feed hungry villagers with new technologies such as fire and the fridge while you arm your warriors to repel attacks from rats, goblins, and evil wizards beset on conquering your realm.

Stacklands works like a dream on the deck, and the touchscreen is easy to use. If you're not a fan of fast-paced combat and loops, you can also play in “pacifist” mode and enjoy a more chilled experience.

Ballionaire

While most of the deck builders on this list are pretty relaxed in terms of pacing, Ballionaire is a bit of an exception. Instead of collecting cards, you build your very own Pachinko board.

Your goal is to build the perfect pachinko board to trigger insane combos and earn boons. You can then modify the very rules of the game using these boons to further your progress.

With so many different combinations to try out, plus endless replayability via mods, Ballionaire will be perfect for those looking for a different, more action-oriented flavor of deck builder. Plus, it works pretty great on the Steam Deck, with fantastic touch controls that give you complete control of the board.

Dicey Dungeons

Despite being a few years old, this classic roguelite featuring dice protagonists is still one of the best offerings in the genre. This delightful game combines a great art style with a quirky story that will have you root for your die as they go against the evil Lady Luck. The gameplay is also rich in ideas and quirky mechanics.

While it might feel a bit on the easy side, especially compared to other offerings in the genre, it offers great bang for your buck, even featuring limited-time events during special occasions throughout the year—such as Haloween.

Each of the six characters feels unique and has their own style of gameplay and dialogue, making Dicey Dungeons a great pick. It works great on the Deck, too, whatever your style of play.

Backpack Battles

What if the strength of your character came from how well you organized the items in your backpack? That'd be pretty strange, right? Backpack Battles offers a different flavor of roguelike deckbuilding by having you collect and combine items in your backpack. The more stacked it is, the more likely you are to win the next battle.

You can also go up against real builds of other players in the online Ranked mode, or simply have a good time in Casual for a good time without pressure.

While still in Early Access, the team is working hard on the game and what's on offer is already great value. Backpack Battles is also already verified on the Deck, so it's perfect for those quick sessions.

Ascension: Deckbuilding Game

Want to go back to the classic deck builder experience? Meet Ascension, the game adaptation of the original board game. While this might be more complex than other titles on this list, it will be manna from heaven for any serious lovers of the genre.

Not only can you play against the computer, but also online against friends to see who can employ the better strategy through their selection of cards. The game also comes with well-made tutorials that teach you how to play in just a few minutes.

It's a great game for short sessions since it doesn't feature a story or campaign mode—it's all about single matches. Also, if you want to expand the base game, there are tons of DLCs to try out.

The game, overall, works fine on the Deck even though it might require you to input some text via the keyboard sometimes, which you can conjure up by pressing the Steam button plus X.

Loop Hero

In Loop Hero, you wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero.

By surviving as long as possible and using all the cards at your disposal, you can recover loot that will make your hero powerful and unlock new hero classes. Plus, between loops, you can return to the survivors' camp to expand and unlock new features and abilities.

This is a slightly different flavor on your classic deckbuilder, but a strong contender for one of the best in the genre. It's genuinely hard to put down. Since this is a great game to play in short bursts, it is perfect for on-the-go sessions with your Steam Deck. It works pretty well on the device with no big issues.

Across the Obelisk

Lead your team on a quest to save a brave party of strong heroes while trying to survive as long as possible. You'll face tough battles and tricky events on the way through. You can play this deck builder with friends in co-op mode, but it's also enjoyable solo.

There are an incredible number of cards to choose from, and several interesting class combinations that you can unlock while upgrading your party of heroes. Across the Obelisk doesn't reinvent the wheel in terms of mechanics or ideas, but for any fans of the genre, this is a great game to sink a few hours into every day.

On the Deck, it works perfectly most of the time, but there can be times when you'll have to squint to read the small text descriptions, but it's not a serious problem.

Knock on the Coffin Lid

If you've already played the classics such as Slay the Spire and Monster Train, then it may be time to go beyond the grave and sink into this grim, horror-tinged deck builder. You have three characters to choose from, which might not feel like much, but they have four subclasses as well. Each one basically works like an entirely different character, with unique attacks and cards.

Exploring maps will uncover events with unique options for each character, and the story is well-written and brought to life thanks to some excellent voice acting.

This title also works great on the Steam Deck, even though it is currently unverified. Since the overall action does not reach a crazy pace, the touchscreen should be more than enough to win battles by choosing the right strategy. Knock on the Coffin Lid is a labor of love that will please deck builder fans.

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