Valve’s Steam Deck may show its age for big-budget titles, but one thing the system excels at is highlighting how impressive platformers are on the console. Reminiscent of the golden days of portable gaming, such as the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo 3DS, the Steam Deck successfully replicates the feeling of playing a tight and responsive game in your hands.
If there’s one genre I’d highly recommend for new Steam Deck owners, it’s platformers. Here are my picks for the best platformers to play on the Steam Deck:
Celeste
I adore Celeste. It’s a brutally challenging game that makes you want to throw your controller — but you won’t because every mistake is on you. Celeste’s precision-based platforming is an evolution of the genre, and I can’t help but appreciate the sheer number of techniques you can pull off with just simple presses of the Dash and Jump buttons.
The climb to the top of Celeste Mountain is a nightmarish experience, but it’s made bearable by its stellar soundtrack, thanks to Lena Raine, whom you might recognize from her work on Minecraft. If you enjoy a frustratingly difficult platforming challenge and a true sense of accomplishment, Celeste should be on your list.
Nine Sols
The most recent platformer I’ve played, Nine Sols, isn’t just about moving from Point A to Point B. It’s a Metroidvania blend of Soulslike elements and Sekiro’s parry system, making for an engaging experience. This game marks Red Candle Games’ evolution from horror titles like Detention to the realm of 2D Metroidvanias.
Dubbed "Taopunk," Nine Sols is set in a science fiction world where Chinese culture extends beyond the stars. If you enjoyed Hollow Knight, Nine Sols follows a similar formula — challenging bosses, precise combat, and a high skill ceiling that rewards mastery. And if you appreciate Sekiro’s parry system, rest assured that Nine Sols delivers a similarly satisfying mechanic.
The Little Nightmares Series
If you love story-driven platformers, Tarsier Studios’ Little Nightmares series is right up your alley. These games drip with atmosphere, evoking a sense of dread and fear, with monster designs that will leave a lasting impression on you long after the credits roll.
Both Little Nightmares titles tell haunting stories of small, helpless creatures navigating a massive, dangerous world. If you dive into YouTube’s deep lore analysis scene, you’ll find these games packed with hidden meaning. But at their core, both games offer short yet unforgettable experiences, each under 10 hours long, that you’ll likely be discussing with friends once you finish.
Cuphead
Of all the games on this list, Cuphead is the one I almost hesitate to recommend. It’s brutally difficult and designed to test your patience. But having finished the game — including The Delicious Last Course expansion — I want you to feel what I felt, too.
Kidding aside, Cuphead is a gorgeous run-and-gun platformer that put Studio MDHR on the map. Its masterful use of 1930s rubber-hose animation gives it a distinct personality. Each boss encounter is so well-designed and brimming with character that, even after dying 50 times, you can’t help but appreciate them.
Even better, Cuphead is best played with a friend. While the Steam Deck only has built-in controls for one player, it supports Bluetooth controllers so you can bring a friend along for the frustration — and fun.
Neon White
Neon White is a weird game — intentionally so.
It’s a first-person shooter that borrows heavily from the platforming genre. While it doesn’t follow the traditional side-scrolling camera angle of Celeste or Cuphead, it remains a platformer at heart. According to creator Ben Esposito (also known for Donut County), Neon White is "a game for freaks, by freaks."
The game’s unique mechanic of sacrificing guns for mobility adds a fresh layer to gameplay. You’re not just deciding which weapon to use against enemies — you’re also constantly weighing the trade-off between movement and firepower.
If platforming and speedrunning are your thing, Neon White encourages blazing-fast gameplay to achieve the best times possible at each level. To make your runs even better, its soundtrack, composed by Machine Girl, keeps you constantly pumped.
While plenty more platformers are worth discussing, these five stand out as some of the best to play on the Steam Deck. They take inspiration from the classics while adding unique spins to the genre, making them must-plays for any platforming fan.
For more content on platformers and Steam Deck-related features, check out Gfinity.