The Humble Handheld Friendly sale is running right now, and if you need more games for your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or Legion Go, then it’s the best way to pad your Steam library with some fantastic games.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re using the best handheld gaming PC of all, the Steam Deck, or one of its many competitors, this sale comes packed with games across a variety of genres and styles, and they’re all optimized for portable play.
From this sale, five games really stand out to me as must-plays, especially on a handheld gaming PC. Whether it be because they’re just fantastic experiences or because they are games that you’ll find you connect with better on a smaller screen.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
I was unsure about Marvel’s Midnight Suns when it first came out. I, like many, didn’t think a deckbuilding X-Com style game was what the Marvel IP needed. How wrong I was. Midnight Suns ended up as one of my favorite games of 2022, and it just so happens to run incredibly well on handheld gaming PCs.
The story is engrossing and the free-play aspects are great for learning more about the world, allowing you to build relationships with characters less frequently seen in media outside of comics. To top it all off, the combat is super satisfying once you nail the finer aspects of deck building and can create complete carnage with your chain combos.
Gloomhaven
While the board game version of Gloomhaven sadly gathered dust when I owned it, largely due to the time sink required to adventure even as a solo player, the video game adaption is perfect for losing yourself in a Dungeons & Dragons-style adventure for countless hours.
This tactical RPG sees you take on endless combat-filled dungeons while also making choices where every outcome could result in the death of a party member… permanently. An old-school turn-based combat system is the nucleus of Gloomhaven, but a unique twist on deckbuilding thanks to the top-and-bottom action system keeps you on your toes constantly. Gloomhaven is a game where you create your own stories and just try to survive the ruthless world you help shape.
Darkest Dungeon
I’ve been banging on the Darkest Dungeon drum for many years now, and even though the sequel is available to play, I highly recommend starting with the original and seeing where this grim roguelike series started.
The popularity of Darkest Dungeon exploded when gamers like me fell in love with its ruthless approach to tactical combat and exploration. You could lose party members to physical and mental diseases, some of which may even turn them against their party members, but once you learn how to manage your heroes’ well-being and make the most of their combat skills, you’re left with an amazing adventure game that feels like it was born from a collaboration between Edgar Allen Poe and George R.R. Martin.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Never bet against Lego video games. Somehow, someway, every Lego video game has been a hit in one way or another. The formula is perfected, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes assembles a huge cast of Marvel’s finest and takes you through another brick-building adventure where you’ll want to chase that elusive 100% completion marker.
Lego games are great from a content perspective because even when the story is over, you can revisit levels to find all collectibles, unlock all characters, and check out all the easter eggs carefully planted throughout the game. These games are the best value for money even at full price thanks to the sheer volume of content, but you can grab Lego Marvel Super Heros for just a few dollars in this Humble sale.
Cult of the Lamb
I only started playing Cult of the Lamb recently, but it gripped me within 15 minutes of gameplay and is such a natural handheld game to play. You’ll take control of a recently possessed lamb, charged with the task of building a cult, gaining followers, and spreading the word to appease The One Who Waits.
Part rogue-lite, thanks to its pacey high-risk combat, and part cozy village game, as you build a mecca for your followers, Cult of the Lamb is a weird mix of genres but it absolutely nails the execution. This game will stick with you for a long time thanks to witty writing and memorable art style and, in my opinion, it’s best played on a handheld like the Steam Deck.
Some of these games also feature on our list of the best Steam Deck games, where we assemble more fantastic portable games that you need to try if you own a handheld gaming PC.