I see lots of lists of “hidden Gems” on the Steam Deck but in my experience these all tend to list the same handful of games that to me at least all seem well known. So I decided to make a quick list of a few games I’ve checked out on my Steam Deck that I enjoy and think might have slipped past a lot of folks' radars.
An action RPG with stunning art and animation. Kena is not especially long but it’s the total package with great combat and a surprisingly compelling story.
A modern take on old JRPG’s that plays out like an homage to the Mana series of games.
Another modern game designed to feel like a throwback to 2011. This is an excellent 3rd person action game with a fun story and solid mechanics.
Castlevania Lords of Shadow 1 and 2
I know these aren’t really hidden gems but they are from a decade ago so you might have forgotten how cool they are. Both run great on the Deck and still hold up really well.
My grand sticker plans continue to creep closer to fruition! With any luck you should be able to start ordering my sticker designs from the PA store around the end of this month. I’m also opening up what is essentially an Etsy store inside the Penny Arcade store for the truly hardcore.
Gabe’s Sticker Shoppe should also appear online around the end of the month and it will feature my sticker designs as well, but in limited runs that are handmade by my family! It turns out that making stickers is a pretty fun hobby and my wife Kara has really gotten into the process. Because these runs of homemade stickers will be limited to around 100 per design, only Club PA members will have access to Gabe’s Sticker shoppe. You can join at any tier and you’ll have access to special stickers every month. I’ll have a couple new designs each month as well as some little free stickers to toss in each order and a signed thank you card!
Curating a sticker book has been a very relaxing experience. The peeling and placing is a comforting ritual. For now my book just contains the stickers I’ve been making but there’s no shortage of artists out there making beautiful stickers.
I’ll keep you updated and post some links here once the store is open. In the meantime check out Club PA if you’d like access to a bunch of goodies every month including a unique comic strip and soon a homemade sticker store.
-Gabe out
