Games for a broken leg (RPG/Roguelike/Turn Based) on Steamdeck

[xwraith]

Looking for some recommendations now that I have to recover from a broken leg and can’t do what I usually do.

Looking for turn-based rpgs with a good story that I can run on my steam deck. Roguelike might be good too, and I just picked up Slay the Spire. However, while I’m ok with permadeath, I would like something a bit less on rails.

[hepcat]

I don't have any good suggestions. I just wanted to pop in and say get better soon!

[Ænima]

I don’t play a lot of RPGs anymore, but Baldur’s Gate 3 is all the rage. On the roguelike front, Hades and Dead Cells were amazing and each ate up at least 100 hours.

[Isgrimnur]

New Heights: Realistic Climbing and Bouldering

[Blackhawk]

Looking for turn-based rpgs with a good story that I can run on my steam deck.

This is actually a genre with some options these days. What have you already played? Any you particularly liked or disliked?

[xwraith]

Looking for turn-based rpgs with a good story that I can run on my steam deck.

This is actually a genre with some options these days. What have you already played? Any you particularly liked or disliked?

I have had no time to play over the past 5 years or so. Last RPGish type game I played was Fallout 4 — not turn based obviously. Years ago I tried to get into Final Fantasy Tactics but the story to encounter ratio was off for me. Played Battletech (and I still haven’t finished that campaign) but not sure how controls work on the deck.

[Blackhawk]

Turn based RPGs that stand out to me, then:

Baldur's Gate 3
Divinity: Original Sin 1 & 2
Jagged Alliance 3 (semi-RPG, semi-strategy game)
Legend of Grimrock 1 & 2
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Shadowrun Returns
Shadowrun: Hong Kong
The Banner Saga
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Wasteland 2

All seem to be verified or playable on the Steam Deck, but I don't own one, so I have no real knowledge about whether some specific limitation would be a real issue or not. In other words, double check. Apparently ProtonDB is the place to go to find out.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Turn-Based RPGs:

1. Baldur's Gate 3 -- Easily the best game, and certainly RPG, of 2023 IMO.
2. Citizen Sleeper -- this is presented more akin to a narrative tabletop RPG, with a focus upon providing engaging and entertaining storylines. The devs are now working on a sequel, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, which is likely also worth wishlisting.
3. Divinity: Original Sin 2 -- from the same devs as Baldur's Gate 3, the available squad configuration options and outstanding turn-based tactical combat used in this game always struck me as being surprisingly reminiscent of XCOM. The leveling system is insanely rewarding, and there's tremendous fun to be had in experimenting with new abilities and new combos and figuring out new strategies, especially when playing the game in Tactician Mode (which I'd strongly recommend). This video provides a brief sample of the sort of creative gameplay ideas and thinking its tactical combat system allows.
4. Disco Elysium -- this does a superb job of implementing pen & paper RPG dialogue mechanics into a video game, and provides one of the most narratively rich and rewarding stories you will ever experience in a CRPG video game. Have a butcher's at this video for a more comprehensive explanation of just what makes it so remarkably compelling.
5. Pillars of Eternity I & II -- strong world-building, intelligent, expressive writing, and plenty of varied and interesting quest designs. If you enjoyed the original Baldur's Gate games, these make for terrific spiritual successors.

Roguelites:

1. Hades -- this sets the bar for roguelite games with amazing visuals, character development, and a great storyline to go with it.
2. Dead Cells -- an incredibly satisfying indie gem that perfectly blends the elements of both roguelite and Metroidvania genres. Splendid visuals, detailed and gorgeous vistas, fast-paced combat, intense action sequences, a complex progression system, an abundance of interesting secrets to uncover, and a mighty addictive gameplay loop.
3. Streets of Rogue -- a pixelly top-down roguelite set in a randomly generated city, in which the corrupt mayor has banned chicken nuggets. You can play as a hacker, scientist, comedian, gorilla, vampire, bartender, and dozens of other weirdly wonderful unlockable characters. Don't let the looks put you off, because the entertaining player choice and emergent gameplay this game provides rivals the original Deus Ex. It also has an amusing sense of humour, and greatly rewards the time you put into it.
4. Fury Unleashed -- a somewhat lesser-known side-scrolling twin-stick platforming roguelite shooter, with gorgeous hand-drawn comic-book-style aesthetics.
5. Void Bastards -- a stylish first-person roguelite with a unique cel-shaded comic book appearance, along with a funny, misanthropic, and snarky story.

I'm also going to recommend some additional titles below that don't necessarily fit within the above categories:

• Dave the Diver -- a casual, retro indie adventure game where you play as a hard-working portly diver that helps run a sushi restaurant near a mysterious Blue Hole. Meaning you get to enjoy deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day, and sushi restaurant management at night. Strange as it may sound, it's remarkably well-crafted and tremendously enjoyable.
• Through the Ages -- I'd rank this as perhaps the most refined digital implementation of a board game I've played. It's one of the rare few in which the digital version actually surpasses the enjoyability of the original physical board game (since the physical version requires a good deal more fiddly set up and upkeep). It also has one of the most informative and cleverly engaging in-game tutorials I've seen. This is a great game to play if/when you're in the mood for a shorter Sid Meier Civilization-style game, as it doesn't require the same sort of commitment of time.
• Root -- one of the best digital adaptations of a fantastic board game that runs great on the Deck. It includes well-crafted tutorials that make it very easy to learn for beginners and those unfamiliar with the physical board game. But it's hard to put down once you do learn how it plays.
• Streets of Rage 4 -- not to be confused with the above roguelite, a retro-inspired '90s-style side-scrolling beat 'em up that updates the genre impeccably. The game looks gorgeous, runs perfectly on the Deck, and is just tremendous fun to play. The combat's great, visuals are great, and it has a bangin' soundtrack to boot:
  
  

[Jaymann]

Looks like Octopath Traveler 2 is available on Steam Deck.

[Blackhawk]

Turn-Based RPGs:

1. Pillars of Eternity I & II -- strong world-building, intelligent, expressive writing, and plenty of varied and interesting quest designs. If you enjoyed the original Baldur's Gate games, these make for terrific spiritual successors.

Great list, and I could be wrong, but I don't believe PoE 1 had a turn-based option.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Turn-Based RPGs:

1. Pillars of Eternity I & II -- strong world-building, intelligent, expressive writing, and plenty of varied and interesting quest designs. If you enjoyed the original Baldur's Gate games, these make for terrific spiritual successors.

Great list, and I could be wrong, but I don't believe PoE 1 had a turn-based option.

That's a fair point. You can just slow-mode down the combat in PoE 1 however, and you ought to be fine. But if you truly cannot stand RTwP (Real Time with Pause) combat, then I would suggest just skipping straight to PoE 2.

[hepcat]

Hmmm...I missed Citizen Sleeper. That looks right up my alley. Thanks!

[hitbyambulance]

Roguelike might be good too

(or "Rouge-lite")

The Binding of Isaac
Noita

[hitbyambulance]

Valkyria Chronicles 4

which reminds me, these PlayStation ports work really well on the Deck. Valkyria Chronicles should go on mine, and i'd definitely going to put Disgaea 5 and Persona 5 on for my upcoming flight.

[Blackhawk]

Apparently the original Valkyria Chronicles is also good on the Steam Deck. I gladly add it to my recommended list if it's your thing.

[xwraith]

Thanks for the recommendations!

Now to go through them all and figure out what to start with.

[Pyperkub]

Darkest Dungeon would probably work as well