FragPunk offers fantastic shooting action for free on Steam Deck

When it was first revealed, FragPunk didn’t excite me, but after playing the Closed Beta Test in late 2024, my opinions quickly changed. What seemed like a run-of-the-mill shooter was a stylish, fast-paced FPS that not only delivered great gunplay and adrenaline-inducing matches but also had a few unique tricks up its sleeves.

Entering a stacked market full of the best FPS games, FragPunk already has a steep hill to reach the top. However, it combines many of the greatest elements of the top shooters around, delivering something familiar yet unique enough. But arguably, its biggest triumph is the fact that it manages to nail being one of the best Steam Deck games already.

A few things to note when playing it on Valve’s handheld console. Firstly, you’ll need to launch the game through desktop mode first, as a black screen can pop up in the SteamOS game mode – however, this issue is a one-time problem due to a Terms and Conditions screen. Secondly, it runs really well on Lowest and Medium graphics settings, but I suggest capping it to 60 FPS for the best experience with few dips.

Once you’ve set everything up, you’ll soon see why FragPunk is great. Competitively, the game offers a Valorant/Counter-Strike 2-style mode that will see you planting or defusing bomb-like devices and earning currency each round to upgrade your loadout (or perhaps hold back for later rounds). Alternatively, there are a bunch of casual-freindly modes that are equally exciting, such as Team Deathmatch or a Kill Confirmed-inspired offering.

Not only does each hero offer unique abilities that you’ll learn and master over time in this multiplayer game, but the intriguing Shard Cards add a whole new layer of strategy to an already tense shooter. A variety of Shard Cards offer different effects, both passive and active, allowing you to drastically alter each match depending on your choice – and picking the right cards could mean the difference between winning or losing a match.

If this fantastic FPS action game sounds like something you’ll want to spend time with on Valve’s handheld or any Steam Deck alternative, you can start playing FragPunk using this link. Hopefully, I’ll see you in some matches soon, but honestly, it’d be better if you’re not on my team – for your sake, I promise.

It might be worth investing in one of the best Steam Deck docks after diving into FragPunk, so you can play the latest FPS game on a bigger screen. If you’re hoping to get some cool skins for your weapons, FragPunk also doubles as one of the best gacha games – but don’t worry, it’s only skins.