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Baldur’s Gate 3 and other RPGs reign supreme on Steam Deck, Valve says

The Steam Deck community can't get enough of role-playing games, according to Valve, with Baldur's Gate 3 and more proving ever popular.

Astarion, a companion from Baldur's Gate 3, appearing on a Steam Deck OLED

For the fourth month in a row, the most played game on the Steam Deck is none other than Baldur’s Gate 3. However, it’s not the only role-playing game to make the official top 20 from Valve, far from it, as the genre makes up just shy of half the list.

Even in its early access period, Baldur’s Gate 3 easily ranked among the best Steam Deck games, so it’s not surprising at all to see it achieving such feats following its proper launch. It seems, however, that the Steam Deck community simply can’t get enough of similar games.

A screenshot from X, posted by OnDeck, detailing the top 20 most played Steam Deck games

According to the official OnDeck X account, RPGs made up 45% of the most played Steam Deck games in November 2023. In addition to the usual suspects, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the popularity of Diablo 4 grew enough to surpass Elden Ring for the bronze, just behind Cyberpunk 2077 and BG3.

In terms of newcomers, both Coral Island and Risk of Rain Returns made their debut following their respective launches. While I’ve not had chance to play the former, I can confirm the latter is an equally great time on the Deck as it is a remaster of the original game.

Other notable changes from last month include the absence of Starfield, despite the clear preference from the Steam Deck community for RPGs. This, understandably, brings into question the feasibility of Starfield to have the 12-year staying power of Skyrim, that Xbox wishes it to have.

Check out our Steam Deck OLED review if you’re deciding whether to pick up Valve’s handheld, or if you’re unsure whether to upgrade from the LCD model. Otherwise, if you’re already deep into the ecosystem, check out our best Steam Deck docks guide to complete your setup.