New Steam Games Playable on the Steam Deck, with Well Dweller and Normal Golf Game - 2026-09-26 Edition

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Between 2026-09-19 and 2026-09-26 we selected 9 newly released games that are rated as Verified or Playable on the Steam Deck, and meeting specific criteria in terms of user ratings. The biggest title of the week is Well Dweller, which is apparently one of the best metroidvanias ever made, on par with Hollow Knight if I am to trust what the reviewers are saying. The trailer does certainly look good and make convince you further.

Well Dweller on Steam Deck

Full list and details below!

WELL DWELLER

Released on 22 Sep, 2026, developed by Kyle Thompson and published by Kyle Thompson, . [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG

Steam Deck Rating: Verified

User Reviews: 99.2 % Positive (out of 393 total reviews)

About the game: Well Dweller is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, full of charming characters living in a wretched kingdom. Play as Glimmer - a tiny bird armed with a matchstick - who must burn the wicked queen to save his family.

Steam Reviews Summary: Players are calling this one of the best metroidvanias of the year, and several say it’s the smoothest “vania” they’ve played in a long time. The hand-drawn art style, atmosphere and music get constant praise, with frequent comparisons to Hollow Knight (though reviewers note it’s far more lighthearted and accessible than that). Glimmer’s matchstick is highlighted as what gives the game its own identity: it’s used for combat, traversal (shooting a match into walls to bounce off them), healing vials and puzzles, rather than just being a weapon. The map design is singled out repeatedly as top tier, with helpful features like collectible markers you can buy and a system that alerts you if you missed items in rooms you’ve already visited. Bosses are described as readable, fair and well telegraphed, even on Hard. Combat is breezy by soulslayer standards: there’s no collision damage except from deliberately spiky enemies, which reviewers appreciate. Difficulty options plus accessibility toggles (extra time on platforming trials, more/less damage) make it a great pick for casuals and fans alike. The main gripe across nearly every positive review is length: around 10 to 15 hours to hit 100%, with several people saying they want way more content or some replay value. A few note the Japanese localization has issues, and one reviewer found a mid-game chase sequence (no-hit requirement) unfair on Normal.

NORMAL GOLF GAME

Released on 21 Sep, 2026, developed by Luke Muscat, self-published. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Simulation, Sports

Steam Deck Rating: Verified

User Reviews: 98.5 % Positive (out of 614 total reviews)

About the game: A very normal golf simulator. Hit anything. Shoot from anywhere. But remember: you’re not leaving until Luke Muscat himself (Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride) is satisfied.

Steam Reviews Summary: The overwhelming consensus is that this is the most realistic golf game on Steam, and several real golfers say it captures both the frustration and the reward of an actual round better than any PGA Tour title: you can top a shot, slice it into another town’s course, three-putt and take a six on a par 3. The control scheme (managing stance, aim, club face drift and swing simultaneously) feels unwieldy at first but, unlike QWOP or Getting Over It, you genuinely get better with practice, which makes landing a clean shot feel incredibly satisfying. Reviewers love the ~105 “bounty” challenges that force you to use every part of your game (curving shots through doorways, sinking putts on narrow islands), and many say it’s become their favorite golf game ever despite never playing much golf before. The big complaints: there is only one 9-hole course with no back nine or other courses in sight, the scope feels small for some, a chunk of players just want to play golf without the non-golf gimmicks (hitting gongs, finding hidden objects), and the intentionally retro/ugly visuals don’t click with everyone. Multiplayer is requested constantly. On Steam Deck it reportedly works great: two reviewers specifically played on deck and found controller support fluid and frictionless despite keyboard/mouse being listed as preferred.

DRESSMAKER

Released on 21 Sep, 2026, developed by Cozy Lives and published by Free Lives. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Casual, Simulation

Steam Deck Rating: Playable

User Reviews: 98.1 % Positive (out of 2497 total reviews)

About the game: Become a dressmaker! Choose fabric, cut out patterns, and sew them all together to satisfy (or sabotage!) townsfolk in this cozy crafting game inspired by real dressmaking.

Steam Reviews Summary: This one has struck an enormous chord: multiple top reviews are from actual tailors and sewing enthusiasts who say it’s the closest simulation to real dressmaking they’ve ever seen, going through sketching, measurements, fabric selection with pattern matching, cutting (where grain direction matters) and a manual sewing machine step that people describe as oddly meditative. It’s frequently called an adult version of Style Savvy or old Barbie fashion games, and reviewers report losing complete track of time making dress after dress at 3AM. The characters are widely loved for being distinct, funny and diverse in age, body type and personality. That said, there is a consistent list of quality-of-life gripes: no undo when cutting fabric (one stray click can ruin an expensive bolt), the economy is punishing so you run out of money fast, tracking which pattern piece goes where gets confusing on complex designs (the dev added mouseover highlighting in response within days), and lace/decoration placement feels fiddly. By far the most requested feature across dozens of reviews is seeing customers actually wear the finished dresses; right now garments just get photographed on a mannequin, which many find deeply anticlimactic after half an hour of work. On Steam Deck it’s playable but several reviewers note zooming in on the dress form doesn’t work well and they prefer PC for detailed sewing.

HAPPY WHEELS

Released on 21 Sep, 2026, developed by Jim Bonacci and published by Fancy Force. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Action, Casual, Indie, Racing

Steam Deck Rating: Playable

User Reviews: 95.1 % Positive (out of 1873 total reviews)

About the game: Choose your inadequately prepared racer, and disregard severe consequences in your desperate pursuit of short-lived victory.

Steam Reviews Summary: This is almost entirely a nostalgia event: thousands of people grew up playing this free Flash browser game (often on school computers or while watching PewDiePie, Jacksepticeye and Fernanfloo rage through levels) and are thrilled to finally own it. The Steam version adds what was missing from the web build: no ads, controller support, achievements, basic settings menu, an improved level search/download system and the option to unclock the frame rate (it defaults to 30fps like the original). At $5, reviewers feel it’s a no-brainer way to thank Jim Bonacci for keeping the game free online for over a decade. The criticisms are that essentially nothing new has been added since around 2013: same character roster with empty slots in the list, an aging level editor UI nobody wanted to touch, audio balance issues that persist to this day, and levels that lean heavily on the same mechanics (sword throw, bottle run, rope swing). A few note it’s virtually identical to what you can still play free on his website. But sentiment is “worth every penny for the memories,” with people joking about buying it as a married adult or paying off an overdue debt from their childhood self.

HEROES’ VOW: THREE KINGDOMS

Released on 23 Sep, 2026, developed by Free Wing and published by Free Wing, . [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Indie, RPG, Simulation, Strategy

Steam Deck Rating: Playable

User Reviews: 88.9 % Positive (out of 153 total reviews)

About the game: This Three Kingdoms sandbox RPG lets you do whatever you wish in the late Han Dynasty. Be a ruler, courtier, or hermit. Make friends, marry, raise children, manage estates, train yourself & allies, govern, drill troops, experience & alter history, and conquer all to win the hearts of the people.

Steam Reviews Summary: Fans of Koei’s ROTK officer gameplay (and Taiko no Bou) are largely delighted: this is described as a far more immersive sandbox where you can be a ruler, courtier or wandering hermit, with deep systems for family, marriage, estates, trading and personal cultivation that let your character snowball into absurd power. The card-based duels and debates get praise as genuinely fun to think through, the roster of 2000+ officers is huge, historical events are well done, and the dev team updates frequently and listens to feedback. It’s also priced far below comparable Japanese strategy titles. However, there’s a loud minority (and some long-form negative reviews) with consistent complaints: the UI is bloated, requires too many clicks for basic tasks like trading or city management, and onboarding/tutorials are weak enough that new players feel lost immediately. The real-time legion battles (the RTS layer) are called shallow by several veterans of the genre, with AI that ignores your plans, and a promised turn-based toggle never shipped at release despite being advertised during EA. English localization is not considered ready: text overflows boxes, whole sections like Commissions are untranslated, and tutorials highlight the wrong screen areas. There was also community pushback in China after final-release portrait changes to female officers were seen as toning them down, with some modders threatening to pause work. Bugs (save loading issues, NPCs vanishing mid-quest) come up repeatedly. The general take: enormous content and ambition at a great price, but it needs significant UI polish and translation work before it’s comfortable for the international audience.

HIROTONFA’S AMERICAN REVOLUTION SMUGGLER

Released on 24 Sep, 2026, developed by HIROTONFA and published by Ninth Exodus. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Adventure, RPG, Simulation, Strategy, Early Access

Steam Deck Rating: Playable

User Reviews: 100 % Positive (out of 50 total reviews)

About the game: Date a state! Buy low, sell high, dodge the Royal Navy and Patriot Privateers, and romance colonial state-chans in a chaotic American Revolution merchant sim. Mercantilism ho!

Steam Reviews Summary: Overwhelmingly positive launch reception for this early access title. Players call it a charming labor of love with fun hand-drawn art, anachronistic humor, and far more voice acting than you’d expect from an RPG Maker game (Zach Hadel is in there). The core trading loop gets the most praise: buy low sell high across 1700s colonial ports while paying off weekly debts that keep scaling up, dodging Royal Navy inspections and Patriot privateers, with the Loyalist vs Patriots war shifting blockades, taxes and prices around your plans. Side activities like package delivery jobs, gambling on horse races, boxing, smuggling contraband and “100% Orange Juice” naval combat add plenty of variety, and many reviewers highlight the state-chan romance as a standout quirk (North Carolina-Chan is apparently very popular). A few gripes: early access bugs here and there, RPG Maker arrow-key controls take a couple minutes to get used to, and one detailed negative review felt much of it repeats demo content with only about three non-repeating quests. Most players are excited for more romance routes, trade items and polish as the game grows toward 1.0.

OTTERLY LOST

Released on 23 Sep, 2026, developed by Soulworks Interactive, self-published. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Adventure, Casual, Indie

Steam Deck Rating: Playable

User Reviews: 100 % Positive (out of 86 total reviews)

About the game: Swim, dive, and explore as a curious sea otter far from home. Meet charming animals, discover hidden places, use tools, and solve light challenges as you make your way back with your favorite rock by your side.

Steam Reviews Summary: 100% positive so far, with reviewers describing a zero-pressure cozy collect-a-thon: no health bar, no enemies and no rush, just you, Otto the otter and his favorite rock exploring an island full of charming animal characters who give small quests. The swimming and diving feel great to play (a couple note it can get janky in shallow water), the map turns out bigger than expected with hidden places tucked everywhere, and the minimap that tracks collectibles gets praise for letting you explore without needing a guidebook. Customizing Otto’s outfits is a recurring favorite. It runs short: most players hit 100% of achievements in roughly five to ten hours, so the common asks are more areas and content down the road, with some feeling later zones run emptier than the first one. The game is English-only at launch, which non-English speakers mention but generally manage fine given how simple the text is. A handful of minor bugs have been reported (like a tree-climbing softlock) that resaving fixes.

GARFIELD - ESCAPE FROM MONDAY

Released on 24 Sep, 2026, developed by OSome Studio and published by Microids. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Adventure

Steam Deck Rating: Verified

User Reviews: 93.3 % Positive (out of 30 total reviews)

About the game: Wake up Garfield from this nightmarish veggie filled 3D Platformer! The laziest cat is about to work hard in Garfield - Escape from Monday!

Steam Reviews Summary: Positive reception for what it’s priced at: reviewers call it a surprisingly competent, laid back 3D platformer in the spirit of Mario Odyssey and Galaxy, with snappy weighty controls that make Garfield fun to move around (costumes like the turkey suit add nice variety), art direction that follows the show well, catchy music, and on-brand fourth-wall humor. The single most repeated complaint is by far the voice acting: multiple reviewers say Garfield sounds nasal and too light compared to Frank Welker’s iconic delivery, with several admitting they turned the voices off entirely after a while. Smaller gripes include time trial mode playing cutscenes you can’t skip (which has cost people runs), enemies being weak since food items constantly restore health, some audio mixing issues where dialogue gets buried under sound effects, and no proper fullscreen option at launch. Most agree it’s great value for the price and easily the best Garfield game in years if you don’t mind the casting.

DELVERIUM

Released on 21 Sep, 2026, developed by Sagestone Games, self-published. [Steam Store Page]

Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG, Early Access

Steam Deck Rating: Verified

User Reviews: 92.6 % Positive (out of 68 total reviews)

About the game: Explore, Build, Farm, Craft and Fight in this survival sandbox adventure for 1-8 players. Delve deep to uncover the secret of the invading ‘Faults’ and restore stability to the land.

Steam Reviews Summary: Very positive early access reception with a clear “great foundation, still undercooked” split. Fans love how much quality-of-life it bakes in compared to Necesse, Core Keeper and Terraria: assumptive crafting that auto-crafts intermediate materials from your raw ore so you skip menu clicking, torches on the hotbar without plastering them everywhere, no tool durability, smooth building where windows go straight into walls, and quick stacking between chests. The explore, mine, farm and build-your-settlement loop is called cozy and time-wasting in a good way for 1-8 player co-op, with several reviewers singling out the split-screen option as rare these days. Criticisms center on depth at launch: roughly five to ten hours before you run low on things to do, enemy spawns underground are too aggressive (mobs sense you through walls and swarm), combat lacks dodge or parry so it devolves into face-tanking, set bonuses and progression feel shallow, and a chunk of negative reviews say it hasn’t found its own identity beyond the Necesse comparison. The most common wishlist items are more NPC roles and settlement automation, decorations, pets and mounts, mod support, skill trees and additional biomes.

More Steam Games for the Deck From the Past Weeks

You can also check our previous entries in the series for the New Steam Games released with Playable rating for the Steam Deck. We have them every week: