The unofficial expansion for the Steam Deck's Proton compatibility layer, Proton-GE, is about to take a major new step forward in its development. Namely, one of the final Wine-GE builds of Proton has now been released according to its de??velopers, and its next chapter is al??l about non-Steam game support.

GloriousEggroll, the person responsible for the continued development of Proton-GE, has just announced that they are joining forces with the developers of Lutris, Heroic, and Bottles to work on a Unified Linux Wine Game Launcher. ULWGL is a universal non-Ste?am game launcher that will expand the Steam Deck's game support by a huge margin, making it way easier to run any given non-Steam title with all of the functionality that Proton-GE might afford.

Proton-GE developers move on to work on ULWGL

In broad terms, Proton is one of the main reasons why Valve's Steam Deck has been as successful as it's been. An operating system translation layer, Proton essentially allows native Windows games to run on Linux, and it is instrumental in the device's pick-up-and-play feature set. Proton-GE builds upon Valve's baseline version of Proton with unofficial compatibility and performance improvements. In some cases, as with Palworld, this results in substantially better performance if you install the c??orrect version of Proton-GE. In others, the ??game might not even run without Proton-GE in the first place.

The reason why ULWGL is as exciting as it is, is that it will expand this functionality to virtually any non-??Steam game you might play on the Deck. "ULWGL will allow you to run your non-steam games using Proton, Proton-GE, or other Proton forks using the same pressure vessel containerization and runtime that Valve use to run games with Proton," says GloriousEggroll. "This means your games will run the exact same way as proton runs games, but outside and independant [sic] from Steam."

A?fter ULWGL releases, Wine-GE will be rendered obsolete, as ULWGL will include its entire feature set and ??beyond. "The original purpose wine-ge was created is because at the time there was no way to run non-steam games with Proton PROPERLY," GloriousEggroll explained. "Now that ULWGL is created, it creates an almost mirrored way to run non steam games the way steam runs steam games in proton. I say almost because of course we've added tweaks and things like protonfixes into the mix."

In other words, ULWGL will massively expand the Steam Deck's functionality and ease of use, to the point that non-Steam games might actually work perfectly on the device out of the box. All the boons that Proton-GE brings will, then, be a??pplicable to games from Epic, EA, and Ubisoft, making them that much easier to enjoy on the Deck.

The post Steam Deck compatibility developer??s are now tackling non-Steam games appeared first on Destructoid.

It was recently brought to people's attention that the Master Collection of Metal Gear Solid was near unplayable on Steam Deck. F????ortunately, Valve has been quick off the mark, and a fix is rolling out.

According to a recent Twitter/X post from Pierre-Loup Grifais �?coder for Valve �?a hotifx has been deployed. This should tend to the crashing issues people have been having with both Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3.

As is often the case when it comes to the Steam Deck, the problem appeared to be related?? to compatibility issues with the device's operating system. This new patch �?sent out literally moments ago �?addresses issues with Proton, the Li??nux-based software the Deck is built around.

What was the problem?

In a recent report/video from GamingOnLinux, the recent release of the first three Metal Gear Solid entries were shown to be not suited for the Deck. While MGS ?runs fine, it seems to m??aintain its old-school 4:3 aspect ratio, and the game is locked at 30fps. This may not be an issue for some, but others may take exception to the sizeable black borders and lower framerate.

However, at least it was running on the device. The same could not be said for the second and third games, neither of which would play at all. Both Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater? were crashing to the Steam Library, meaning they couldn't be played at all??.

Given the popularity of the classic Metal Gear Solid games, it's not surprising Valve was pretty quick to act. Hopefully, MGS2 and MGS3 should run now, as the update's purpose is to "address?? a blocking crash in cutscenes." At the time of writing, a f?ix for the missing audio in cutscenes is still being worked on.

The post M?etal Gear Solid collection is messy on Steam Deck, but Valve is rolling o?ut fixes appeared first on Destructoid.

Meta-horror visual novel Slay the Princess is locking in a date, just in time for the spookiest season. Black Tabby Games will unleash Slay the Princess on Oct??ober 20, 2023 fo??r PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam.

Black Tabby Games has already made itself known in the horror space through Scarlet Hollow, and Slay the Princess looks to be pretty terrifying in its own way. The general idea is that you wake up in some woods, driven by the disembodied voice of the Narrator (Jonathan Sims from The Magnus Archives) to slay the princess. Doing so, he says, will save the wo??rld.

But what do you choose to do when you ?reach her cabin? Do you pick up the knife and bring it down? Do you try to talk things out with the princess, voiced by Nichole Goodnight, or simply do what you're told? ??And what if you've been here before?

Without saying too much, the narrative starts to twist and shift in ways you can already see in the newest release date trailer:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY07Vh7MEbg

More than a princess

The draw of Slay the Princess, as we've seen in demos here, is how its narrative threads weave and intersect to reflect decisions. Slay the Princess is, essentially, ??about trust. And depending on what you've already done, the princess may warp to reflect your actions, as you also try to comprehend jus??t what is going on in this place.

Some really sharp writing and incredible art work, complemented by the fully voice-acted lineup, really makes Slay the Princess shine. Its focus on creating an exact vibe and idea earned it a spot on our list of favorite games from PAX East 2023.

Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to this one, and October is the perfect month for it. Black Tabby also confirms Slay the Princess is coming to Steam Deck, so the terror can go on-the-go, too. Make your choices and live with them as Slay the Princess arrives on October 20.

The post Slay the Princess brings the world’s end on October 20 appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for throwback action because developer Maple Powered Games is working on a new G.I. Joe beat 'em up. The studio announced G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra with Q1 2024 release plans on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. 

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra promises both online and couch co-op for up to four players in Story and Arcade Mode. Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Roadblock, and other classic characters are getting in on it, so you can shelve your figures for a while after launch. A trailer accompanied Maple Powered Games' announcement, providing an idea of how the retro-style brawler looks. 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tHrCaYrDd4

The forces of nostalgia are firing on all cylinders. There's music from Tee Lopes (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge) with vocals from Crush 40 vocalist Johnny Gioeli. We've also got rough animation that honors the stupendously goofy spirit of the G.I. Joe cartoon. Then it all ends with a quick dash of in-development gameplay footage, which looks like a slightly slower beat 'em up in the vein of The Punisher or Captain America. 

[caption id="attachment_401202" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Freedom Games[/caption]

Wherever there's trouble

Some locales planned for Wrath of Cobra include G.I. Joe headquarters, "The Pit," Cobra Island, and Cobra's secret underwater base. You won't get much of a feel for it from the trailer, but apparently Wrath of Cobra sports a parry system. That should come in handy when dealing with enemies like Ninja Vipers, the Crimson Guard, and HISS Tanks. Man, I'd say I miss '80s toys, but you can literally go to Target and pick up exact replicas right now. 

However this turns out, at least it's likely to have a killer soundtrack. I don't know that it will reach the heights of the villainous twist theme song from 1987's G.I. Joe: The Movie, but there's plenty of time to dream big.

The post Retro GI Joe beat ’em up Wrath of Cobra announced for 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Windows will almost certainly be the default operating system for more PC users and gamers. How??ever, Linux seems to be slowly climbing the ranks, and it's now the second most popular OS on Steam, which could be owing to Valve's handheld device, the Steam Deck.

According to a report from Phoronix (as spotted by Ars Technica), Linux saw its share of the market increase by half a percent for June, givin??g it a 1.96% share of the operating system pie.

[caption id="attachment_395246" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot via Destructoid.[/caption]

This means, as of now, it's beaten macOS, whi??ch currently has a market share of 1.84%. Of course, both pale in comparison to Windows, with the anonymous Steam survey showing that the Microsoft OS dominates with a whopping 96.21% share.

Are more people turning to Linux then?

The one thing that needs to be taken into account is that much of this increase in Linux usage may well be down to the Steam Deck itself. The portable PC comes pre?installed with the SteamO??S software, which is built on a custom version of Linux.

Ergo, anyone who b??uys a Deck to play games through their Steam account will be shown as being a Linux user. The version "SteamOS Holo" 64-bit was the most popular Linux version reported, which adds to the Steam Deck's case. It's also worth noting that not everyone will have taken the survey, but any discrepancies may not be significant anyway.

If anything, it kind of shows the popularity of the Steam Deck, that it's managed to influence the operating system market in this way. While companies like ASUS are offering their own alternatives, the Valve machine is still a force to be reckoned wi?th in terms ??of mobile PC gaming.

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Valve found a hardware winner in the Deck this year

2022 saw gaming shift in a lot of big ways. But amid a clamor of big headlines, Valve managed to work its way into the home console space with the Steam Deck this year. And this o?ne really seems like it's going to stick it out.

Valve has had a, let's say, interesting record when it comes to home hardware launches. The build-your-own PC nature of the Steam Machine didn't really take off, and neither did the Steam Link. Even the Steam Controller, which has its defenders, got lumped in with the successes and?? failures of Valve's work to put a box in the living room.

This year, Valve launched the Steam Deck, a new attempt at portable PC gaming. It was revealed as a surprisingly flexible piece of hardware; it can stream games or run them itself. It's portable, but compatible with USB-C docks, able to HDMI out and connect with a TV or monitor. And it runs on Linux, but is fairly open source, allowing users to tinker and mod away to their heart's desire. (Within reason, of course.)

The Steam Deck does a lot of what Valve had already been trying to do in the space. But this year, the Steam Deck has been incredibly popular. As we looked back at the year that?? was 2022 in gaming, I wanted to examine exactly why this one cli??cked.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvokyBOYe8Y

Best of both worlds

I'll say this up-front: yes, the popularity of the Switch probably did help the Steam Deck a bit. The concept of hardware that can be played handheld or on the television works great for the Switch, and it somewhat does for the Steam Deck too. More importantly, it's a?bout the form factor. Having a Switch with the potential library of your overflowing Steam backlog is tantalizing, too.

It's funny, then, that I don't think I've ever docked my Steam Deck more than a couple times. Instead, it'??s been a completely handheld experience. The main reason for that is because if I wanted to play a computer game with a ?set monitor and controller, all those options are already available through my gaming PC. Normally, this would be the part where one or the other takes over.

Instead, the Steam Deck feels additive. There are still games I play at my PC, for when I want the mouse-and-keyboard experience or need the higher fidelity and horsepower of my setup. But other games can travel back and forth, or just be played through solely on my Steam Deck. My review of Signalis and dozens of hours of Tactics Ogre: Reborn were all on my Steam Deck, and I'm currently bouncing back and forth on Chained Echoes using cloud saves. The Steam platform tie-ins really make the Deck useful for taking a game-o?n-the-go, and then plugging right back in, whether I want the gaming computer or the Deck running the show.

Steam Deck Verified

I'd also argue Valve found a lot of success on the Deck thanks to the Verified system. Traditionally, Valve has been pretty laid back when it comes to letting users tinker, discover, and work on things. (More on that in another section.) But Verified introduced a system where users, especially less tech-savvy users, could instantly see wh?ether a game was cleared for the Steam Deck or not.

Being able to open up a Store page and see that green check made it easy to know if a game was going to run well or not. And the Verified system doesn't just check on performance, but also basic pieces like whether controller support is well-int??egrated.

Long-time PC users are accustomed to tinkering with settings and work-arounds, but for someone who just wants to play a Steam library on the go with little fuss, now Verified can help them identify what will work right away, fresh from the install. It's been popular enough that I've seen owners asking developers whether Steam Deck Verified status is on the way or not.

Endless tinkering potential

On top of all that, the Steam Deck is also ripe for potential tinkering. Homebrewing and modding are predictably thriving, as Steam Deck owners have found all sorts of ways to run things on the Steam Deck. Heck, even the custom boot-up animations got a nod from the hardware developers, netting animatio??n creators some extra sec?onds of boot animation potential.

It's not just that you could, theoretically, play some retro games on the Steam Deck. It's that it does that, and still does a lot of the Steam Deck Verified, fresh-out-of-the-box options too, and all of it is fairly?? easy to set up. The Deck has felt relatively easy to work with compared to other modding endeavors I've undertaken, and I can still always just boot back into the proper Steam OS and play a game when I'm tired of tooling around.

The library

It's obvious but bears repeating: the Steam library is a massive boon for the Steam Deck. Other consoles have pretty hefty libraries at this point, but nothing c?ompared to what even a somewhat-freq??uent Steam user has stored up.

This was also a stellar year for games that just fit well on the Steam Deck. Sure, Elden Ring was popular and makes sense, but Vampire Survivors feels like a match made in heaven for the Deck. Tons of stellar indies like Citizen Sleeper and Norco, and even established hits like Hades all felt right at home on the Deck. Add in the launch of ports like Persona 5 Royal and everyone's massive Ste?am sale backlogs, and the Deck had a wealth of games already bought, paid-for, and ready to play for new owne?rs.

I'll admit, I was pretty skeptical about the Steam Deck at first. I remembered a lot of older S?team hardware attempts not doing well, even when I loved the concept of them. And in the first fe??w months, my Deck would collect dust. Once a few games cracked the seal, though, I was completely won over. I frequently find myself opting for the Deck if at all feasible. This handheld PC feels like one of the big winners of 2022, and I'm really interested to see where Valve takes it from here.

The post It was Steam Deck’s time to shine in 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

We don't want it, 2K

[Update: 2K games has provided Destructoid the following memo, which was also posted on Steam: “Our last patch to BioShock Infinite on Steam was intended only for Windows but unexpectedly affected shared dependencies with the Linux version that made the game unplayable on some versions of Linux. We’ve since identified and fixed those conflicts and have verified those solutions addressed the i??ssue in Linux (Ubuntu 22.10). We apologize for the inconvenience to our fans on Linux and appreciate their patience as we worked on a fix.”]

Fifteen years later, BioShock remains one of the most recognizable and beloved series in gaming, and publisher 2K is still releasing updates to support the series. Or, more specifically, to make the games run through their own launcher, as evidenced by the patch notes from both older updates and a new one (via PC Gamer). This time around they even labeled the patch ?as a "Quality of Life Update," when all it did was enable linking to 2K accounts and added the new launcher "which includes a store to purchase new content."

So they're forcing yet another game launcher on us, but what really has fans peeved is that this new update has rendered the games unplayable for players running them on Linux. At first, it seemed to just be BioShock Infinite that was affected, but now it's looking like the entire series is a bust. The Linux Gaming subreddit is full of players decrying the changes, and trying to find solutions to fix the problem. Some players are expressing their wish that Steam ?would let them access earlier builds rather than forcing them to use the most recent version, and I'm kind of surprised that wasn't an option already.

Naturally, fans took to the review section on Steam to vo??ice ?their discontent, where one user said that 2K's launcher is riddled with bugs, crashes, and corrupted saves.

I have my BioShock collection on my PlaySt??ation so I'm in the clear, but man, I am feeling the frustration on behalf of PC gamers. Here's hoping that 2K gets the message soon and decides to scrap the launcher altogether, or at the very least releases a patch to fix the games for Linux users.

Recently I've been partial to arguments about why it's imp??ortant to own physical media, and I have to say this situation is only pushing me further into that camp. If I spent money on a game, I certainly want to be able to play it without the meddling of a company years after the game's release.

The post BioShock is unplayable for Linux users a?fter patch (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

Want to feel old?

Ten years ago, we covered the very first Humble Indie Bundle – a unique concept at the time that snowballed into something truly long-lasting. Think of how different the landscape felt. Think back on what kinds of indie games were blowing up back then (World of Goo!) and what it was like to find them.

So much has changed for independent games, developers, and gaming deals over the past decade, but Humble is still doing its thing in 2020. It's wild to pause for a moment t??o reflect. How many games? in my library came from bundles? Hundreds upon hundreds, I'm sure, but I don't even wanna know.

This week, it's the Humble Indie Bundle 21, a small curated collection of name-your-pric??e indies.

The $1-or-more tier:

• Hotline Miami
• Beat Cop
• Dustforce DX

The beat-the-average-price tier:

• Moonlighter
• Gato Roboto
• More games that'll be revealed in a week.

The $15-or-more tier:

• Hypnospace Outlaw
• Starbound

The list is surprisingly sparse, is?n't it? I expected more fanfare.

Other than Hypnospace Outlaw – a ridiculous game about hu?nting down scumbags in a 1990s surfing-the-web simulator – nothing jumps out at me. A dollar is a dollar, and I can't argue with that, but most of these games have had countless heavy discounts before. They're not exactly fresh picks in 2020.

I'm so curious to see which games are added to the lineup next week. If you're on the fence, make sure to chec?k back by Tuesday, May 26. The Humble Indie Bundle 21 will be around until 11:00 a.m. PT.

_{[Image credit: ScrambledEggsOnToast]}

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You can get a refund up to 30 days after playing a game

I can think of only a few digitally-distributed PC games that I really, truly wish I could've returned, no questions asked, because they weren't the right fit for me. (My technical issues and complaints run far deeper.) Progress?? has been made with refund policies, but there's always room for improvement.

The DRM-free game distributor GOG has updated its refund policy to be more customer-centric, and even at a cursory glance, it's impressive. Now, after submitting a request for a return, "you can get a full refund up t??o 30 days after purchasing a product, even if you downloaded, launched, and played it."

Going a step further, under the ne?w refund guidelines, "pre-orders can be refunded through??out their pre-order period (as in – until they get released), and for 30 days after their release date."

Obviously, th??is trusting approach will be open to abuse – especially since there's no DRM.

"It's important for us to say that this update is possible thanks to your respect for all the time and hard work put into creating the games yo??u buy on GOG.com and playing by the rules," the store said.

Th??ere are "no limits" on refunds, but GOG is upfront about "monitoring the effects of the current update to make sure no one is using this policy to hurt the developers that put their time and heart into making great games." Another (understandable) caveat: "We may refuse refunds in such individual cases."

"We'd also l?et you know about any future adjustments in the voluntary Refund Policy in advance."

I appreciate them for go??ing above and beyond the bare minimum that many online stores offer.

Update to our voluntary Refund Policy [GOG]

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A thousand deals on PC games until January 31

Ne??w year, new sales. If you're looking to pick up some PC games right now, you're in luck.

GOG has around 1,500 deals in its Lunar New Year sale, a humbling reminder that there are entirely too many video games to keep track of, much less play. A not-?insignificant number of them have rats!

PC gaming deal hunting has reached a point, especially on GOG, where it's tough to make sweeping recommendations. Everything feels so personalized these days. With that in mind, here's some stuff that look??s good to me, a g?uy whose taste in DRM-free games may or may not line up with yours.

• The Witcher 3 GOTY Edition ($14.99)
• The Witcher 3 Expansion Pass ($9.99)
• Disco Elysium ($31.99)
• Banished ($6.79)
• Frostpunk ($11.99)
• SimCity 2000 Special Edition ($1.49)
• SimCity 3000 Unlimited ($2.49)
• SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition ($4.99)
• Warcraft I & II Bundle ($12.69)
• Warcraft II Battle.net Edition ($8.49)
• Jade Empire: Special Edition ($3.74)
• Star Wars: KOTOR ($3.49)
• Star Wars: KOTOR II: The Sith Lords ($3.49)
• Dungeon Keeper Gold ($1.49)
• Dungeon Keeper 2 ($1.49)
• GreedFall ($37.49)
• Theme Hospital ($1.49)
• Invisible Inc. ($4.99)
• Hollow Knight ($7.49)

GOG's Lunar N?ew Year deals are active until 6:00am Pacific on January 31, 2020.

If nothing jumps out, you might have better luck with Steam's Lunar New Year sale.

The post GOG’s PC game deals for Lunar New Year are worth a peek appeared first on Destructoid.

A worthy cause

It's hard to wrap your head around the scope of a crisis like the one Australia is facing. Numbers on a page – no matter how wide-spread and terrifying they sound – can't fully capture the devastation.

This week, Humble Bundle and around 30 developers are showing their support with the Humble Australia Fire Relief Bundle, a?? special video game bundle intended to "help the wildlife and animals affected by the Australian bushfires." It's selling?? for $25, and all of the proceeds will go to charity.

Here's the list of games, many ?of which are excellent:

• Void Bastards
• Hollow Knight
• Armello
• Euro Truck Simulator 2 + Australia Paint Pack DLC
• Duck Game
• Hand of Fate 2
• Paradigm
• Crawl
• The Adventure Pals
• Regular Human Basketball
• Satellite Reign
• Hacknet + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC
• Mr. Shifty
• Primal Carnage: Extinction
• Assault Android Cactus+
• Frog Detective
• Framed Collection
• Think of the Children
• Feather
• Tower of Guns
• Rising Dusk
• Death Squared
• Paperbark
• Quest of Dungeons
• The Stillness of the Wind
• The Gardens Between
• Paper Fire Rookie
• Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
• Machinarium

You probably own quite a few of these if you're a deal-hunting PC gamer, but it??'s a worthy cause.

If you decide to support the bundle,?? you'll be able to split your money between three (very relevant) organizations: the World Wildlife Fund, WIRES (NSW W??ildlife Information Rescue and Education Service), and RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

The Humble Aust??ralia Fire Relief Bundle will be sold until January 23, 2020, at 11:00am Pacific.

The post ?Humble Bundle is selling a massive bundle to support Australia appeared first on Destructoid.

Sekiro took the top honors

And that's a wrap for the Steam Awards 2019.

Over the past month, Steam users have nominated their favorite games of 2019 across eight different categori??es, from the classic Game of the Year award to more (potentially) surprising awards meant to highlight story-rich games and the best games we suck at, among others. Here are the results:

• Game of the Year: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
• VR Game of the Year: Beat Saber
• Labor of Love: Grand Theft Auto V (again!)
  
• Better With Friends: DayZ
• Most Innovative Gameplay: My Friend Pedro
• Outstanding Story-Rich Game: A Plague Tale: Innocence
• Best Game You Suck At: Mortal Kombat 11
• Outstanding Visual Style: Gris

If some of these winners are catching you off guard – I really wasn't expecting DayZ to show up anywhere on this list, but I should've! – you might ?find more common ground with the runners-up.

You can see the other top nominees over on the results page. As one example, for Game of the Year, the other finalists were Resident Evil 2, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Devil May Cry 5, and Destiny 2.

Funnily enough, the game I threw out as a possible nominee for the Best Game You Suck At, Hunt: Showdown, was a runner-up alongside Code Vein and Mordhau. It's reassuring to know I'm not alone.

I wonder if people will still be playing Grand Theft Auto V by the time GTA VI rolls around.

The post The Steam Awards 2019 winners are pretty on-brand appeared first on Destructoid.

This year is finally almost over

As we near the New Year, it's a big sale day in the world of PC gaming. The Steam Winter Sale 2019 kicked off this morning, and after some inevitable launch?? woes, the stor??efront is now relatively stable.

Apart from the usual deals, Steam is also hosting a Holiday Market throughout the Winter 2019 sale. It's a way to encourage folks to engage with the platform and check back in for new daily quests. By checking off tasks – "add any three games to your Steam Wishlist," "communicate with a friend or group using stickers," etc. – you'll earn Festivity Tokens that?? are redeemable for digital rewards.

If you manage to accu?mulate 5,000 tokens, you'll get a coupon worth $5 off your next purchase. Otherwise, the market is lined with stickers, emoticons, profile backgrounds, and chat room effects.

It's a lot of busywork for a not-great reward, but if you just want some deals, they haven't gone anywhere. A few suggestions: Disco Elysium ($31.99), Sekiro ($38.99), Total War: Warhammer II ($20.39), The Forest ($10.99), Raft ($13.99), and Stardew Valley ($8.99). Here are the global top-sellers.

The Steam Winter Sale 2019 run??s until 10:00am PT on J??anuary 2, 2020.

The post The Steam Winter Sale 2019 is here for two weeks appeared first on Destructoid.

But I'm mostly here for the art

What's the be?st video game of 2019 that you suck at? I bet you have an answer ready to go.

That's one of the questions at the center of the Steam Awards, an annual community-centric ceremony meant to highlight the best and brightest PC games of the year. For 2019, Steam has eight categories?:

• The Game of the Year Award
• The VR Game of the Year Award
• The Labor of Love Award
• The Better With Friends Award
• The Most Innovative Gameplay Award
• The Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award
• The Best Game You Suck At Award
• The Outstanding Visual Style Award

Once you're logged into your Steam account, you'll be able to nominate games that released after November 27, 2018. A couple of caveats: there's no release-date restriction for the Labor of Love award, so anything goes, and you can only nominate an individual game once. If you end up having a change of ?heart, don't worry about flip-flopping – you can edit your nominees after the fact.

There's also a new Steam Awards badge with tasks to encourage people to leave a review. As you fill out the to-do list, you'll earn 25XP each step of the way. (Do we still care about S??team XP?)

The award nomination ??process ends on December 3, 2019, at 10:00am PT, after which point Valve?? will reveal the finalists during the Steam Holiday Sale. Then, at long last, we'll see the winners on Dec. 31.

I also can't forget about an underappreciated aspect of the Steam Awards: the art! You can? find all of the category artwork in the gallery at the bottom of this article. The VR wallpaper broke m??y mind.

As for that original question: I'm thinking Hunt: Showdown. Cool game, but I'm miserable at i?t. I like these nontraditional categories as a way to give exposure to games that aren't necessarily "the best."

_{[Image credit: Olly Moss]}

The post The 2019 Steam Awards are looking for nominees appeared first on Destructoid.

The deals are around until December 3, 2019

In an already shopping-crammed week, here's one more sale to keep tabs on. The Steam Autumn Sale 2019 is running from ?today until December 3 at 10:00am Pacific with deals, deals, and more deals.

First and foremost, I have to give a shout-out to Disco Elysium, a heady detective RPG that lets you build out your character in wonderfully bizarre ways. (Read our review here.) It's s??till pretty fresh, so a 20 percent dis??count down to $31.99 is not bad at all. If you've heard the buzz, this might be the time.

The Autumn Sale also has discounts on other assorted games I'll go to bat for like Sekiro ($38.99), Resident Evil 2 ($19.79), Total War: Warhammer II ($20.39), Monster Hunter: World ($29.99), Warhammer: Vermintide 2 ($7.49), DOOM ($5.99), No Man's Sky ($29.99), and Blasphemous ($14.99).

I'm curious about Remnant: From the Ashes ($27.99), but I think I might wait for a few more updates. The same goes for The Surge 2 ($29.99), which seems neat but not you-gotta-have-it-now neat.

Oh, and people are going HAM on a five-dollar Steam Controller deal. That's 90 percent off! According to The Verge, the current stock ?is "the last batch of these?? gamepads that will ever be made."

The post Catch up on recent hits with the Ste?am Autumn Sale appeared first on Destructoid.

Valve is beta testing a dramatic new look

Valve has made it that much easier for me to see exactly how many games I've left untouched and unloved in my aging Steam library. With today's beta, Steam users can now opt-in to play around with the platform's new and ??arguably improved library interface. It's a dramatic before-and-after.

My immediate reaction after installation? An audible "whoa." I like it – at least so far.

The intention behind this redesign is to make it "quick and easy to explore, sort, hide, and feature your games," and based on my first impressions, that's accurate. At a glance, I can see new updates/events for games I own, jump back into my recent titl??es in a more visually-pleasing manner?, filter my collection based on genre or "play state" (e.g., "unplayed"), and even create dynamic game groupings.

If you find the new look to be a bit on the big side – some of the icons are admittedly pushing it in terms of screen real estate – then you may want to customize your settings. To do so, hop into View > Settings > Library. You can tweak the size of UI elements. There's also low-bandw??idth mode (to stop auto-loading community content) and low-performance mode (to tone down the visual flair).

If you're looking for a way to trim your text-based list of games down to just your currently installed titles, look for an innocuous "play" icon above the list and click that sucker. Any other tips? Share 'em!

The all-new Steam library [Steam]

The post It’s time to spruce up your Steam library appeared first on Destructoid.

Take it away, Jim Croce

It doesn't feel like Humble Bundle has existed for all that long, but clearly, my perspective is out of whack. We're now on the Humble Indie Bundle 20, a fitting reminder that time moves way too fast and you shouldn't let important things go uns??aid and oh gosh that's another gray beard hair, isn't it?

Despite the milest?one, this is a fairly? typical bundle of PC and Mac games. Here's the breakdown.

Pay $1 or more:

• Tangledeep, a roguelike dungeon-crawling RPG with a neat job system.
• The First Tree, a relaxing adventure about a fox and a son.
• Among the Sleep, a horror game from a toddler's perspective.

Pay more than the average price:

• Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, a climbing game that'll cut you down and build you back up if you don't tap out.
• Dream Daddy, a dad-romancing simulator from Game Grumps.
• Tooth and Tail, a mammalian revolution wrapped up in turn-based strategy.

Pay at least $10:

• Overgrowth, a physics-centric combat game that's still alive and kicking.

I can see the one-dollar tier gaining a lot traction due to the allure of Tangledeep, and the same goes for any of the three games in th??e middle tier so long as that group remains this cheap (it's a few bucks).

As a quick throwback, the very first Humble Indie Bundle included World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD, and Penumbra Overture. That was back in 2010! Game bundles sure have blown up since then.

The post Humble Bundle is now on its twentieth ‘indie’ bundle appeared first on Destructoid.

Windows PCs are all that's left

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's dead platforms keep piling up. A few years ago, the Wii U version was canceled in favor of flipping over to Switch -- a perfectly justifiable move. Earlier in 2018, the Vita port was scrapped altogether. Now, two PC platforms have been axe?d.

In an update to Kickstarter backers, Bloodstained producer Koji Igarashi broke the news that both the Mac and Linux versions have been canceled. Igarashi explains the move by saying "We have made this tough decision due to challenges of supporting middleware and online feature support and making sure we deliver on the rest of the scope for the game." People who backed Bloodstained for either Mac or Linux can email the team to change over to a different platfo??rm.

As for the wider state of Bloodstained, the Kickstarter update conveys a sense of optimism. The team mentions it's fine-tuning enemy placements so that it can create a flow throughout the levels. With WayForward's assistance (who came on-board about a month ago), everyone seems confident that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will finally launch in 2019.

December ??Update -- Development News and ??the Team at Work [Kickstarter]

The post Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ??kills its Mac and Linux ports appeared first on Destructoid.

And the most-played

As we inch toward the new year, Valve has shared a list of the 100 best-selling games on Steam in 2018. Along with the general list, there are also a few more specific groupings including the top 150 new releases, VR best-sellers, Early Access success stories, and the most-played Steam games.

If you thought the beginning of the year felt particularly crowded for games, the "top new release" charts agree. As Valve notes, "December is a busy month and a lot of activity to compete with, s??o it's understandable that it might be a less desirable month to release in. But April only had 5 releases that made our list and July only had 6, whereas February was the busiest month w??ith 22 popular releases."

I'm also fascinated by the most-played list, which features 10 games that resonated enough to bring in over 100,000 simultaneous players. Those are: Dota 2, Warframe, Realm Royale, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: GO, Team Fortress 2, Path of Exile, PUBG, Grand Theft Auto V, and Rainbow Six Siege.

Meanwhile, the best-selling Steam games were tracked by gross revenue, and it's no surprise to see certain older games like Dead by Daylight still making the cut in 2018. Topping the list were Warframe, Far Cry 5, The Elder Scrolls Online, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Dota 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Civilization VI, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Monster Hunter World, PUBG, and Counter-Strike: GO.

For the full individual lists, just follow those links up top. And don't beat yourself up too much if you own more of this stuff than you should and y??our? backlog is only getting bigger. Happens to the best of us.

Steam "Best of 2018" Lists; A Look Back At 2018 [Steam]

The post These are the best-selling Steam games of 2018 appeared first on Destructoid.

As if there isn't enough going on this week already

Valve is now running its annual Steam Autumn Sale with deals on some 14,000 PC games.

What's good this year? Based on spending habits so far, it looks like Civilization VI ($17.99), Total War: Warhammer II ($29.99), Assassin's Creed Odyssey ($40.19), Monster Hunter World ($39.59), NieR: Automata ($29.99), Frostpunk ($20.09), Divinity: Original Sin 2 ($29.24), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider ($29.99) are climbing the global charts. Well, those and the humble Steam Link. Valve's st??reaming device was just discontinued this week, so this is it. Folks are snapping them up for a mere $2.50.

While eyes are on the sale, Valve is also pointing a spotlight on the 2018 Steam Awards to encourage more participation. Users can nominate in categories like "Labor of Love," "Best Developer," "Better with Friends," and of course "Game of the Year." Once these nominees are finalized, Valve will hold a poll in December to determine? the winners (which will then be ??announced in February).

The Steam Autumn Sale runs until Tuesday, November 27 at 10:00am Pacific. I'm glad I got?? Steam sales ?out of my system over the years. I can scan the list, take note, and move on. It's that easy!

Autumn Sale [Steam]

The post Forge??t Black Friday, the Steam Autumn Sale is live now appeared first on Destructoid.

Attn: RollerCoaster Tycoon fans

There's been a slight but much-appreciated resurgence in theme park simulation titles over the past couple years. One highlight is Parkitect, a game that feels like a loving tribute to the original RollerCoaster Tycoon and its classic sequel. After running its course on Steam Early Access, developer Texel Raptor is now prepping the final touches. Parkitect will launch on November 29, 2018.

The incoming 1.0 version adds a Campaign mode, which is precisely the sort of thing I want out of these games (and a major reason why I've resisted playing in Early Access). There will be 26 scenarios all told. Instead of using a simple text-based level list, Parkitect has a world map with branching paths.

I'd encourage ?you to wa??tch the launch trailer. It's chuckle-worthy.

When the game fully launches, the price will rise to $30. In other words, if you're confident you'll dig Parkitect, you can get the St?eam Early Access version now, wait for the 1.0 update, and save ten bucks.

Aside from "inevitable hotfixes" and keeping up with the press, the developers are planning to enjoy a holiday break throughout December and early January. "Beyond that we will of course continue to support the game with patches and updates - there's some more features and content for both creative players and management players that we’re excited to start working on as free updates! However, these updates will happen whenever we have so?mething ready to show instead of on the fixed week??ly devlog/monthly game update schedule that we've used for the past ~4 years."

Launch date! [Parkitect]

The post Theme park sim Parkitect exits ?Early Access soon with a Campaign mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Is this what it feels like to trip acid?

One of my favorite games of the past decade is a wonderful little collection called NES Remix. From indiezero and Nintendo, this trio of games took classic NES titles and reimagined how people played them. It was a great success, but after watching the trailer below for Triforce, I realize there are so many more interesting ways to?? reimagine classic games? than just replacing Mario with Link.

From Patrick LeMieux and Stephanie Boluk, Triforce takes areas and locations from The Legend of Zelda and applies them to different 3D surfaces, everything from a donut to a cylinder. The object of the game is to locate the ?three Triforce pieces, but there are other secrets to be found as well. It's a neat curio that'll only take you about 15 minutes to run through once depending on how well you're able to navigate the tricky?? dungeons. Be warned, playing with a touchpad instead of a mouse does make for a more difficult trek.

🍩 TRIFORCE 🍩

Explore a non-Euclidean Hyrule full of donuts, Möbius strips, and Klein bottles this new game by @chouxsalad and I about the topologies of Zelda!

🍩 out now for FREE
🍩 on MAC and PC
🍩 full of SECRETS
🍩 //t.co/amTXR8qJWl
🍩 //t.co/qiNfxKUvRQ pic.twitter.com/pTNGaXiECG

— Patrick LeMieux (@alt254) November 10, 2018

Triforce: The Topologies of Zelda is avai?lable right now on PC, Mac, and?? Linux. Download it now before the inevitable happens.

The post Triforce: The Topologies of Zelda is a trippy take on the NES ??masterpiece appeared first on Destructoid.

In the pipe, five by five

You Don't Know Jack has always been an innovative property. The very first YDKJ game in 1995 was one of the first titles to take full advantage of the storage space offered by then-new CD-ROM technology, and there's been plenty of experimentation since then. In addition to frequent physical releases, YDKJ's developers put out a daily online version in the internet's infancy; something I enjoyed playing in between games of Acrophobia many years ago. There was even a brief live-action version of the game show hosted by ??Paul Reubens, trying to capitalize on the popularity of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? More recently, there were daily updates for a mobile app and Facebook versions of the game, but support for these ended in 2015. 

Since 2014, You Don't Know Jack's developers have been taking advantage of the ubiquity of smartphones by allowing players to use their phones or other internet-enabled touchscreen devices as controllers. Every Jackbox Party Pack includes five different multiplayer games with simple controls, and that support local play or can be shared with a worldwide audience using Twitch. Other developers have tried to borrow these mechanics (looking at you, That's You! and Use Your Words), but so far, no one has surpassed Jackbox at their own game.&nbs??p;

This year's Party Pack is the fif?th collection of low-entry barrier social games. So how do?es it compare with its predecessors?

The Jackbox Party Pack 5 (PC [reviewed], Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire TV, iPad, Apple TV, Nvidia TV, Comcast Xfinity)
Developer: Jackbox Games Inc.
Publisher: Jackbox Games Inc.
Released: October 16, 2018 (PS4), October 17, 2018 (all other platforms)
MSRP: $29.99

This year's Jackbox Party Pack includes five brand-new games to play with a group, with some extra features for players who plan to stream on services like Twitch or Mixer. This Party Pack's social features have been expanded to allow up to 10,000 viewers to participate as part of the audience, influencing votes and making their mark on the proceedings in a variety of other ways. All games except You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream offer a family-friendly mode, and all five games include some other tools to m??ake them easier? to share on streaming services.

Most games need at least two people to play, and the majority in this pack require three or more. Most work even better if you have more players, and all of them seem to be the most fun with a full complement of six to eight players. I'll go over each game in turn, but I'll start by saying I was pleasantly surprised not to see any clunk??ers in the pack this year. 

Previous Party Packs have all had one or more returning games, but the only returner this time is a new version of the game that started it all. In addition to a new version of You Don't Know Jack, four new games make their first appearance in this Pack: Split the Room, Mad Verse City, Zeeple Dome, and Patently Stupid.

You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream

Let's start with You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream. For those new to the series, YDKJ is an irreverent trivia quiz show where the host makes no attempt to hide his disdain for the players, and the questions ??combine pop culture with historical and literary references. It's been ably hosted since the third CD game by Tom Gottlieb under the pseudonym Cookie Masterson.

This is the first YDKJ title released since the very first Party Pack in 2014, and my group found it to be a welcome return, especially with the upgrades since the last time it made an appearance. The main game can be played solo or with up to eight players at once, and the audience can participate in this version by answering questions right along with the players. This even has an effect on the gameplay,? since audience members who whiff questions players get right will offer up so??me bonus cash.

Each game consists of ten questions plus a final "Jack Attack" round where you have to match up several people or things according to a hint onscreen. This time, more than one answer can be correct, and players can earn (or lose) extra money if they answer these questions quickly. Each game also inclu?des a "Dis or Dat" round which sees you categorizing two things that aren't as different as you might think, and may have some other types like a "Gibberish Question" where the rhyming syllables are more important than the words. A couple of new question types join the party as well; "Player's Choice" lets the g?roup vote on what type of question they want to see (though the results are rarely what you think they'll be), and "Data Mining" takes user polls into consideration.

The framing device involves a benignly evil Netflix-like company called "Binjpipe" which has taken over the You Don't Know Jack studios and seems to have designs on the rest of the media landscape. Fortunately, this hasn't affected the ??after-show commercials the series is known for, and it's worth sticking around after the show to listen to a few before starting a new round.

One thing to be aware of is that the game no longer supports mouse and keyboard controls, (or, presumably, controller input on console versions) and you must use a touch device or log onto jackbox.tv in a browser window to play. It's not a huge deal, but I briefly confused myself a couple of t?imes by trying to click on an answer onscreen rather than in my br?owser window when I played a couple of rounds by myself.

Midway through each game, players who are lagging behind earn the opportunity to stick it to their opponents by Screwing them. This hardware is especially entertaining now that everything is handled on your small screen, and several creative impediments to enteri?ng your answer can be used against you if you don't answer quickly. For example, a Screwed player might have to read the answers without any vowels, or might have to scroll through a lengthy EULA before being allowed to answer the question on the main screen.

You Don't Know Jack is still one of the best examples of comedy writing done well in vi??deo games, and I'm glad to see the series getting another chance. Surprisingly, this wasn't my favorite entry in this year's pack. That honor went to:

Split the Room

While many games in previous Party Packs have tasked players with getting as many votes as possible, Split the Room is a game about being divisive. Three to eight players are presented with a hypothetical scenario with a single element left blank. Their job is to complete this scenario as contentiously as possible, trying to cause a 50/50 split in how the o??ther players answer the prompt. Points are awarded based on how cleanly you manage to divide your fellow players' answers, with bonus points up for grabs if it takes them a long ti?me to decide how to answer. The final round provides a partial scenario that you have to provide an alternative to, and offers a chance for more points if you correctly predict the intentions of one of the other players.

The host of this game is a deadpan cat in a business suit who seems to be patterned after Rod Serling on The Twilight Zone. This character is very well animated, and my group enjoyed seeing the different ways he morphed while waiting for other players to enter their answers. The prompts lend themselves well to being as silly or thought-provoking as you like, and it can be genuinely difficult to read the room and create a scenario that will cleave your group in twain. It's easier with a group that has known each other for years, so newcomers to a particular party may be at a slight disadvantage with thi??s one.

My group enjoyed this one just as much as I did, though one player said she'd have preferred if the answers would remain anonymous instead of revealing who wrote them at the end of the round. I didn't think this hurt the game at all, but I can see how it might keep people from writing ridiculous or depraved scenarios. However you play it, Split the Room is an entertaining psychological experiment that works best when y??ou correctly read your audience of fellow players.

Mad Verse City

On a totally different part of the spectrum is Mad Verse City, a game about giant, rap-battlin' robots. This one is a different sort of fun, encouraging up to eight players to write their own diss tracks about someone else in the room and see them performed by a fifty-foot automaton. It's a little like Mad Libs meets Transformers meets 8 Mile, and the results are sillier th?an even that description probabl??y makes them sound.

At the beginning of every round, each player is told to provide a certain type of word, like a noun or verb. They're then provided with the first line of a disrespectful rap song and ar?e told to write the next line however they want. You don't have to make it rhyme or even make sens??e, but the game works a lot better when you do. This is repeated to make a four-line poem disparaging one of the other players, and once everyone's done players can vote on who they think got served the worst. You can also cheer or boo midway through a rap if you thought a particular line was phat or wack.

Each player is? represented by a robot who's built out of a piece of defunct technology, and your avatar might be based on a camcorder, Tamagotchi, or VHS tape. What's more, all of the robots have a unique voice provided by an intentionally bad vocoder. It's pretty funny listening to a passionless robot voice spitting hot fire at its adversary, though I found the humor of the gimmick wore off fairly quickly. How much you get out of this one will largely depend on how good your group is at tailoring their disses to ??their opponents within the time allotted.

There were a couple of things about this one that could have been handled better. Mad Verse City requires an even number of players since every rap battle pits two combatants against one another. If you have an odd number of players, Gene the generic robot fills in and raps once during every round. I understand that this is probably better than some players having a bye round, but Gene's raps are usually pretty bad, and for some reason the computer player gets to vote on?? all of the other face-offs. 

One other complaint regards the hosts. For the most part, they do a good job of explaining the scenario and pumping up the crowd, but they can be extremely distracting, especially when they start talking in the middle of the lyric writing phase. It's hard enough to think of a good rhyme even without someone yakking in your ear, and during one session they were talking for about a third of t??he allotted time. Fortunately, we discovered that we could add extra time to the writing phase in the options menu, a feature intended for streaming but which I'd recommend turning on for everyone. Even without the extended timer, there's a lot of downtime for audience members or early finishers, but they can amuse themselves by repeatedly clicking to help the robots destroy the city in between rap battles.

Mad Verse City may not be what your group is looking for, but I had a lot of fun with this ?one. Still, insulting other players isn't for everyone. It's a more situational game, and may not be appropriate if the players don't know one another very we?ll.

Zeeple Dome

And now for something completely different. Zeeple Dome is the first action game ever included in a Party Pack, and plays something like a simultaneous multiplayer version of Angry Birds. You can play this one by yourself or add up ?to five friends, working togethe??r to defeat waves of multicolored aliens.

Every player controls a different colored astronaut character and can fling them around the main screen by d?ragging their finger on their touchscreen, using it sort of like a catapult. Hitting the sides or top of the arena causes your character to rebound, and there are always several fixed obstacles in an arena to contend with that cause the same reaction. Several types of aliens appear at random points on the main screen, and the object is to clear them by crashing into all of them repeatedly to progress to the next round. Unfortunately, the aliens can't be defeated unless their color matches yours, and they move around and counterattack if they're left alone for very long. 

When more than a few players are participating, this one gets very chaotic very quickly, especially since players can crash into one another midair and screw u??p one another's trajectories. It seems to work best when you talk things out with other players, calling out aliens that match their color and letting other players know when you're about to fling yourself at an enemy?. 

The audio in this one has some high points and some low ones. The announcer has a little too much reverb on his voice to be intelligible, and we couldn't really understand what he was saying during a majority of the game. On the other hand, the gibberish-lyric music reminded me of some of my favorite tracks from Splatoon, and the grunts and squeaks of the little earthlings can be pret?ty ent??ertaining.

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, but we did run into some tech issues during our second game. One player's phone stopped responding, and his avatar had to stand there not doing anything and absorbing enemy attacks. Players can resurrect one another by flying near a depar??ted buddy, but since aliens can't be destroyed if they're the wrong color, this player was effectively de??ad weight. We also ran into some issues because some of the colors are very similar, and a couple of the players had trouble distinguishing between the pink and purple avatars, as well as the yellow and orange. 

Patently Stupid

Finally, we have this year's drawing game. Patently Stupid puts three to eight ?players together in an invention seminar, and the idea is to create a silly invention to solve a ridiculous problem. E??ach player is given a pair of fill-in-the-blank prompts describing an unusual problem which will be given to another player. That player has to decide which problem to solve, then design and draw a product intended to fix the issue. 

That's not all though, because you still need to give this product a name and a tagline to help it sell. Once all this is done you can choose to present your invention to the rest of the room, or let the hosts do the heavy lifting for you. Once everyone has made their pitches, the final round begins, where each player votes for their favorite i?nventions. Votes carry a monetary bonus, and the goal of this round is to achieve a funding target which will allow your invention to enter production.

If that sounds like a lot of steps, that's because it is. It's sort of fun, and the cheesy hosts do their best to elevate the material, but there's not really anything here to recommend over previous Party Pack drawing games like Drawful 2 or the gold standard, Tee K. O. 

There were a couple of other things that keep me from giving Patently Stupid a full recommendation. I think it's a?? little too easy to ice other p??layers by intentionally providing terrible prompts at the beginning, and I wasn't thrilled to see Gene the generic guy make another appearance. I'd like to give this one another shot with another group of players to see if it might work better under different circumstances, but for now, I think we'll probably be sticking with some of the other games in the pack over this one. 

To summarize, I thought Split the Room and You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream were worth the price of admission all on their own, and Mad Verse City and Zeeple Dome can also provide a substantial amount of entertainment value. I'd like to give it another chance, but my first impressions of Patently Stupid weren't as encouraging.

It's not quite as good a package as my favorite Jackbox Party Pack, but in my opinion, Party Pack 5 is much better than last year's offering. None of the games seem to be here just to fill out the pack. If you're looking for something to do with a group over the upcoming holidays, there's plenty in Party Pack 5 to keep a whole bunch of pe??ople engaged and laughing for?? hours. 

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: The Jackbox Party Pack 5 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's already been a decade!

Remember when the site used to be called Good Old Games? A lot has changed for GOG.com over the past 10 years. The digital store was originally cherished as a haven for classic PC games and overlooked gems without the annoyances of DRM. It still is! But GOG has really come into its own in recent years with newer releases, including triple-A titles and indies, and also its gaming client, Galaxy.

GOG has begun celebrating its 10th anniversary ??with a retrospective, game bundles, and a giveaway.

Users can currently vote on one of three games they'd like for free: Shadow Warrior 2, Superhot, or Firewatch. Three very distinct experiences. Once the ?deadline ends and the votes are tallied, you'll be able to claim your free copy of the winning ti?tle. Just check back on Thursday, October 4.

At ?this point, it's hard to imagine the industry without GOG. The si??te has become an institution.

"Our 10th Anniversary is a chance to step back, understand what works, and recognize the things we can do better," reads a letter to fans. "As for what's next – there's plenty more to say about our vision for the GOG.com store and the GOG Galaxy platform: a new understanding of how the two complement each other, and where it makes sense to diverge and improve?? without compromise."

_{[Image courtesy of Wayback Machine]}

This archive from 2008 fills me with nostalgia. Here's to many more?? decades to come.

10 years of GOG.com [GOG]

The post GOG is giving ??out a free PC game for its birthda??y bash appeared first on Destructoid.

Definitive Cut incoming

I'm all about these spooky lo-fi games that pop up from time to time. Ray was telling us about Paratopic a few months ago, and now the first-person horror title is gearing up for a Definitive Cut release on Steam and itch.io. T??he faces may look goofy as hell, but the? sinister low-poly vibe is on point.

It's a game made up of strange vignettes about three separate but not wholly unconnected characters: an assassin, a VHS smuggler, and a young girl. It's possible to clear Paratopic in under an hour ?without actively trying, and I mean that as a sincere compliment -- it doesn't waste any of your time.

Current owners will get the new edition at no extra charge on September 6. Paratopic: Definitive Cut is "expanded" and "refined," though the particulars are left to our i??maginations. Arbitrary Me??tric has also taken the opportunity to add Linux support (on top of the exiting Windows and Mac versions).

Take it from my friendo, Ray: "If you're into horror games, surreal experiments, Lynchian motifs, creepy soundt?racks, or low-poly art, it's worth checking out."

The post Single-sitting ??lo-fi horror game Paratopic is worth another look appeared first on Destructoid.

Walls come crumbling down

For years now, Valve has been making strides with Steam to get away from the closed-off environments of the Windows and App Stores that Microsoft and Apple provide. Valve is all about user freedom and allowing people to play games the way they want. One of the ways Valve did this was by creating a Linux distribution dedicated to getti??ng more game support on the operating system. While somewhat succe?ssful, this newest update may be the biggest push yet.

Valve has announced that its "Steam Play" program just received an update that will, essentially, emulate Windows playback on Linux. Called "Proton," this new compatibility tool replicates the functions of WINE, another p?opular piece of compatibility software for the Linux OS. Since the biggest hurdle to getting games running on Linux is a lack of Direct X support, Proton shifts Direct X 11 and 12 functionality to the newer Vulkan API and even natively supports all Steam supported gamepads.

In the new beta, 27 games have been given Linux support with more likely to come in the near future. Currently, you can experience Doom, Tekken 7, Doki Doki Literature Club, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl without having to dual boot your PC. Some VR titles have also been given support, including Doom V.F.R. and Beat Saber.

Valve does stress that support for games with specific DRM solutions will l??ikely never come to Linux. Still, Valve is allowing users to vote for games they'd like to see get "Steam Play" support. Proton will also allow for games without "Steam Play" compatibility to be run on Linux, though it can't guarantee those will run smoothly.

Honestly, this sounds like great news to m??e. I would have switched to Linux years ago if game support was more robust. If Valve can finally make that happen, I'll say goodbye to Windows without a second thought.

Introducing a new version of Steam Play [Steam Community]

The post Latest Steam update?? allows for more games to be played on Linux appeared first on Destructoid.

Megaquarium

Sim game developer Twice Circled has moved from the world of pharmaceutical conglomerates to fish keeping. The studio's next title, Megaquarium, is a tycoon game about running a pub??lic? aquarium.

A lot mor?e work goes into keeping a healthy fish tank than most people seem to realize, so I thin??k this will be trickier than the cutesy aesthetic and seemingly straightforward subject matter imply.

Running an inefficient aquarium is easy. To really thrive and take on the greatest cha?llenges you’ll need a lateral thinking brain and attention to detail. Will you group your animals by food type, water quality or something else entirely? Will you locate your equipment in a centralised hub using pumps or spread them out embracing the zoning system? How will you optimise your layout so that visitors can find your tanks and staff can easily access them?

You'll have to concern yourself with staffing, bookkeeping, and designing an optimal layout, but the management aspect I'm most keen about is meeting the animal care requirements. There are "almost 100 different marine species" to choose between and they all have specialized needs. This was always my favorite part of Zoo Tycoon, so I'm happy to see more g??ames of this particul?ar ilk.

Megaquarium will launch on Steam in just a few weeks on September 13. I want some garden eels!

The post An aquarium management sim seems like a good idea appeared first on Destructoid.

The usual suspects

While my Steam purchasing has severely slowed down in recent years, I still catch myself eying the marketplace's top-sellers list. I like seeing what folks are into and whether or not I'm still with it.

This week, Steam has broken out a list of top sellers, top new releases by month, top VR games, and the most-played titles of the year so far. Let's?? take a look. (Note that these lists aren't in any particular order, as refreshing the Steam page change??s the games' positioning inside their specific group.)

Top Sellers

• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• Warframe
• Far Cry 5
• Jurassic World Evolution
• Dota 2
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Rocket League
• Civilization VI
• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2
• Rainbow Six Siege

Top VR Sellers

• Job Simulator
• Beat Saber
• Superhot VR
• Budget Cuts
• GORN
• Onward
• OrbusVR
• Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenade
• Arizona Sunshine
• Pavlov VR
• Skyrim VR
• Fallout 4 VR

Most Simultaneous Players (Over 100,000)

• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Rainbow Six Siege
• Dota 2
• Warframe

Most Simultaneous Players (Over 50,000)

• Far Cry 5
• Garry's Mod
• Team Fortress 2
• Payday 2
• Subnautica
• Football Manager 2018
• ARK: Survival Evolved
• Civilization V
• Path of Exile
• Skyrim
• Rocket League
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Stardew Valley
• Civilization VI
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2
• Stellaris
• Rust

Any surprises on here? I like to think I keep up with VR decently enough but there were a couple of titles that I hadn't even heard of before. I am glad to see games like Vermintide 2 and Subnautica represented. Most everything else is pretty much to be expected; people love them some Warframe and Dota 2.

The Best of 2018 (So Far) [Steam]

The post Steam reveals the top-selling games of 2018 ??so far appeared first on Destructoid.

Greetings, Earthlings!

It's been a few years since ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove received its Kickstarter funding and got into production. Even with a slight delay postponing their return to Earth, the funky '90s duo is still trucking along. While a? firm release date is still too early to call, developer HumaNature Studios has announced that the revival sequel will be releasing in 2018.

Greg Johnson, founder of HumaNature and creator of ToeJam & Earl, said, "We ARE releasing this year!!  Right now we have our sights set on a fall release. We will be making a specific release plan announcement in regards to dates as soon as we have that nailed down." In an unexpected turn, Adult Swim Games will no longer be publishing the title. Now, ToeJam & Earl are going completely indie!

If you were a backer during the original crowdfunding campaign, you should be receiving an invite into the closed beta shortly. Johnson said the team will be looking for feedback to make the game as good as possible. It seems the Switch version will also be out before the o?ther console ports, according to Johnson's wording.

PR - ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Brings Home the Funk Fall 2018 [Go Nintendo]

The post ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove will touch down this year appeared first on Destructoid.