While the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A might be just a couple of weeks away, there's a different bunch of nostalgia-inducing creatures that need my attention first. Yes, I'm talking about Digimon Story Time Stranger, which I've just picked up for my Steam Deck, and based on the sales charts as of the time of writing, I'm not the only one. The game is currently the top-selling paid-for Steam Deck Verified game, beating out competition from the likes of indie breakthrough Megabonk and Hades 2.
Not only is Digimon Story Time Stranger outselling other recent releases, but it's also charting higher than some of the top picks from our guide to the best Steam Deck games, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3. In fairness, those games have been around for a couple of years now, but we've seen other Steam Deck Verified games struggle to knock them off their pedestal, so it's still a good sign. It might have something to do with the fact that Time Stranger isn't out on Switch or Switch 2, so if you want to catch up with Agumon and the gang on the go, Steam Deck is currently the only way.
In our Digimon Story Time Stranger review, Pocket Tactics's editor, Ruby Spiers-Unwin, gave the game a stellar 9/10 score, describing it as "the Digimon game I've desperately wanted for the last ten years." It's faring pretty well on Metacritic, too, with a score of 79 at the time of writing. However, given that fans have only just got their hands on the game, we still haven't got a user score yet, so we'll have to wait to see if those who pick up the game themselves are as enthusiastic as the critics.
It's worth noting that if you look at the sales chart on the Steam site as of now, Digimon Story Time Stranger isn't officially at the top. However, the only things beating it are the Steam Deck itself, the free-to-play shooter Counterstrike 2, and Battlefield 6 pre-orders, and neither of the latter two games is Steam Deck Verified. So, if you're looking instead at the chart while using the Steam Deck, Digimon is sitting pretty at the top, and that's something we're sure Bandai is pleased to see.
There you have it, the news that Digimon Story Time Stranger is currently the top-selling game for the Steam Deck. If you're looking for something else to play while you're here, be sure to check out our guides to the best Switch games and the best mobile games. Or, if you want to stick with Bandai's monster-taming series for a bit longer, see our list of all the best Digimon games.