May Madness has landed at Fanatical, and it offers a great chance to grab some truly great games at up to 96% off their MSRP. Better still, these games also run great on the Steam Deck, and we're highlighting some of the games you need to add to your backlog.
The best gaming handheld for most gamers, in large part because of the vast library of compatible games, and because it's simple to get them running. We've selected five standout games from the Fanatical May Madness sale that run great on Valve's portable, as well as seven honorable mentions that are still well worth your time, especially at their current price.
If you're keen to check out any of these games, you can follow the link to the Fanatical store, which is attached to the price of each entry. Alternatively, if you want to check out the entire catalog of May Madness sale games, you can follow this link.
Death Stranding
Steam Deck Rating – Verified | Sale Price – $16.39 / £14.34 | Discount – 59% Off
From the mind of Hideo Kojima, Death Stranding is, at times, a rather trippy experience, but one that has to be played to be understood. Playing as Sam Bridges, you're tasked with delivering cargo to cities in what can only be described as a dystopian futuristic setting, where what is left of America is split into isolated, remote settlements.
The story takes multiple extreme twists and turns in a typical Kojima fashion, but it's equal parts heartwrenching and uplifting at times. With a sequel confirmed to be coming to PS5 in 2025, a 2026 PC release is possible, so check out Death Stranding to see whether the sequel needs to be on your radar.
Indika
Steam Deck Rating – Verified | Sale Price – $12.74 / £10.70 | Discount – 49% Off
Quirky is an adjective that could be applied to quite a few of the picks in this list, but it feels most appropriate when used to describe Indika. You play as a nun in an alternative Russia at the turn of the 19th Century who is sent on a journey of self-discovery, but finds that she's not alone, as the devil himself is by her side.
You'll navigate clever environmental puzzles and a range of gameplay elements from 2D pixel art to 3D third-person exploration. I first played Indika thinking it was a horror game or something more akin to Her Story or Immortality, but I was in no way disappointed with the mash-up of styles and genres it presented instead.
Balatro
Steam Deck Rating – Verified | Sale Price – $13.49 / £11.51 | Discount – 10% Off
I would wager you're already heard of Balatro, the indie poker roguelike that took the Steam Deck, and more recently Apple Arcade, by storm. Well, if you have heard of it but haven't yet tried it, there's no time like the present.
Balatro became an obsession for me when I first played it. The gameplay loop is remarkably satisfying, and even over 60 hours later, I'm still discovering new strategies, even though I've completed the game with a few decks already. It's a simple card game at its core, but buried deep within it is a strategy game so brutal you'll soon find yourself with a Google document tracking the best joker combinations you've used to help yourself on future runs.
Deus Ex Human Revolution
Steam Deck Rating – Playable | Sale Price – $2.99 / £2.47 | Discount – 85% Off
Deux Ex is a name that has been active in gaming for decades, but we're in a dry spell right now with no new game on the horizon. That's fine, though, because revisiting the Adam Jensen era is still a hoot, largely down to the freedom the games provide you when it comes to tackling the sprawling narrative.
Human Revolution came first in 2011 and is actually a prequel to the original Deus Ex from 2000. You play as Adam "I didn't ask for this" Jensen, who is wonderfully voiced by Elias Toufexis, and take on a terrorist organization that left you and your girlfriend for dead. In order to save Adam's life, he is heavily augmented and sent out to do the dirty work for his previous employers, assuming they were the good guys.
As you might imagine, it's not that simple, and the plot twists even include appearances from the Illuminati. It's a wonderful cyberpunk story that, shockingly, is only set in 2027.
RoboCop Rogue City (Alex Murphy Edition)
Steam Deck Rating – Verified | Sale Price – $10.19 / £8.49 | Discount – 83% Off
Finally, we have RoboCop Rogue City, one of the biggest surprises of 2024. This first-person shooter puts you in the shoes of RoboCop, once known as Officer Alex Murphy, in dystopian Detroit as you play out events that canonically take place between the first two films.
RoboCop starts having visions of Murphy's life, leading to a moment of hesitation during an operation to rescue hostages in a TV studio. This sets off a chain of events that include a new kingpin causing havoc on the streets of Detroit, and even a second RoboCop appearing at one point, although this one has some questionable programming. This is a great shooter for lovers of the RoboCop films, or anyone who simply enjoys a mechanically sound shooter that's pretty fun to play, even without any knowledge of the subject matter.
Honorable Mentions
- Sniper Elite 4 | 92% off | $4.79 / £3.19
- King's Bounty 2 | 96% off | $1.59 / £1.39
- Ace Attorney Trilogy | 72% off | $8.39 / £8.39
- Undisputed | 20% Off | $23.99 / £19.99
- Alien Isolation Collection | 77% Off | $11.32 / £9.58
- Persona 4 Golden | 55% Off – $8.99 / £8.09
- Kingdom Come Deliverance | 80% Off | $7.99 / £6.99
If you want to find ways to improve your time spent with Valve's handheld, check out our guide to the best Steam Deck accessories, including docks, SSDs, and screen protectors.
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