Community MetaSteam | May 2026 - Bubsy and the Elder Vultures

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  • Any and all credit for the concept of these threads goes to the amazing MRORANGE!
  • And a MASSIVE thank you to Mor who keeps these threads going! :blobhug:

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  • Big thanks for taking part in those monthly threads!

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Gambonanza

Gambonanza is a turn-based chess roguelike, set on a tiny board with higher stakes. Master tactical twists, invest your winnings and discover new rule-bending Gambits, tile and piece combinations. Face off against challenging bosses and get lost in all the ways you can break traditional chess!
Experience a Chess Revolution​



Goblin Vyke: The Thief Tycoon

My dying father's last words: 'Be greedy' —— Goblin Vyke
Run your very own goblin shop in a medieval world.

is a 2D side-scrolling game that blends stealth heist gameplay with shop management. You are Vyke the Goblin, a thief who infiltrates dungeons to steal treasures by night, and a merchant who sells the loot for massive profits by day. You shall master your stealth skills, cheat death to snatch the Demon King's secrets, while simultaneously recruiting employees and expanding your franchise to grow your business. Ultimately, rise from a penniless, poor goblin to an influential black market tycoon!​



Meltopia

Meltopia is a minimalist game that takes you to a snowy world full of mysteries and glacial secrets. You'll explore its frozen landscapes, melt the snow, collect valuable resources and ancient artifacts. Bring them back to your hub platform, where they will gradually thaw.
But your ultimate goal is to find and assemble the remains of an ancient Mammoth!​



Prime Monster

In the Fractured Kingdom, politicians really are monsters.

Whether it's the Vampires ensuring that the population have the calorie content of their blood tattooed on their necks, or the Zombies implementing speed limits on walking - the nation suffers just the same.

It's time for CHANGE.​



Dead as Disco

Dead as Disco puts you in the shoes of Charlie Disco, a fallen icon with one chance to reclaim the spotlight from the Idols – Charlie’s ex-bandmates and musical legends. Confront the Idols in stylish combat that syncs to every song, and survive a world torn apart by music, fame, and betrayal In this action-packed, literal Beat ‘Em Up.


MOTORSLICE

Parkour through a brutalist post-apocalyptic world with smooth gameplay, and engage in seamless combat encounters. You must use your skills and agility to find your way in this desolated place.
Play as a girl named ‘P’, and use everything at her disposal to escape from deadly traps. Run, climb, slide, crouch, wall run, perform stunts, and even use your chainsaw to cross impossible distances.


Wax Heads

Lose yourself in an emotional, uplifting narrative about community, musical mysteries and underdog spirit. Help endearing and indecisive customers find their perfect records while debating all things music with your loveable colleagues. It’s your job to help Repeater Records find its rhythm again! Drop the needle on a stacked soundtrack featuring dozens of original tracks spanning across many genres, bands, and eras. Every song is crafted to feel like a nostalgic gem. From grimy basement bangers to dreamy indie deep cuts. It’s a playlist built to loop in your head long after you clock out. Dig through crates packed with 80+ hand-drawn albums, lovingly imagined bands, and liner note lore that rewards curiosity. Each record has its own personality, history, and fanbase. Did Scandinavian metal band Jarhead really murder their singer and put his head in a jar? Is it true big shot rapper RXXX used to be a kid’s TV presenter? Has anyone ever seen Mimi?​



In The Black

In The Black is an intense space combat simulator featuring singleplayer and multiplayer game modes (PvE and PvP). It is laser focused on the combat pilot experience in a future dominated by warring megacorporations. Players are private military contractors (mercenaries) hired by ruthless megacorporations to fight their shadow wars for control of the system’s resources. Set in our own solar system 200 years in the future, players engage in combat scenarios, cooperative play with 2-4 players, and 5v5 team-based multiplayer.​



Farever

Explore a vast open world of vibrant landscapes, alone or with allies, where dungeons, enemy camps, and curiosities lie scattered across the realm. From forgotten temples to underwater caves, Siagarta is full of wonders waiting to be discovered. Look closely, and you’ll find treasures and equipment to guide you on your adventure!

Carve your path by climbing sheer cliffs, leaping into the wind to glide above ravines, descending into hidden caverns, diving into deep lakes… Explore every layer of this world, above and below!

Fight your enemies in dynamic combat, and shape a style that’s truly your own! With hundreds of combinations to explore, choose from multiple classes, each defined by distinct aptitudes, skills and playstyles, and combine unique weapons skills and attributes to unlock powerful synergies tailored to how you like to play.

Progress, customize and develop your character through specializations, weapon skills and custom gear, unlocking new ways to fight and crafting the one that feels uniquely yours. Your journey will be shaped by what you seek, and who you choose to become!​



Alabaster Dawn

The shadow of Nyx has fallen, warping the world into a wasteland and vanishing the gods and their people. Now, Juno, the Outcast Chosen, awakens to an impossible task: bring it all back.

Tiran Sol, a World in Ruin. Alone and without the guidance of the gods, Juno finds herself in a ruined world she once called home. Her task : awaken the rest of humanity and rid the world of Nyx. Only in unity can the world be rebuilt and only through the strength of a Chosen can the curse be broken.

But where are the gods? How long has humanity slept and what is the mysterious entity known as Nyx?​



WILL: Follow The Light

To find peace and reunite with his family, Will must sail across endless waters, face numerous challenges, and ultimately discover himself.

You play as Will, a lighthouse keeper on a remote island in the northern seas. The story begins during one of your typically solitary shifts when an unexpected radio message shatters the routine. A sudden disaster has struck your hometown, and your only son is missing. Determined to find him, you must set out on a quest aboard your sailing yacht, Molly, navigating the treacherous northern seas.

The harder you search for your son, the more questions arise. What hidden truths lie in your bond with your own father? Where is your beloved wife? What has happened to your family? The answers are scattered across the unforgiving northern environments you explore — an abandoned island accessible only by sea, a mountain range traversable by dog sled, and your home now standing among ruins and accessible only on foot.

Through the journey, you discover and confront truths about yourself, whether you’re ready for them or not. All of it to save your son… or yourself?​



Mixtape

On their last night together, three friends embark on one final adventure. Play through a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation. En route to their final party together, a perfectly curated playlist draws three friends into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories. Experience a variety of narrative vignettes exploring the pivotal moments that shaped them. Players will immerse themselves in the teenage wasteland by playing through a mixtape of joyful gameplay, from skateboarding and flying to taking photos after hours at an abandoned theme park, hitting baseballs, and putting on a fireworks show from the backseat of a car. It's the greatest hits of the teenage experience, from the first kiss to the last dance. From Beethoven & Dinosaur, developers of BAFTA award-winning game The Artful Escape, Mixtape draws inspiration from classic coming-of-age movies, bringing together nostalgic aimlessness, mischief, music, the highs and lows of adolescence, and the bittersweet feelings brought about by growth, transformation, and moving on.​



Age of Empires IV: Yue Fei's Legacy

Live the legacy of Yue Fei as he leads the Song Dynasty forces in a fight for survival against the ruthless Jin Dynasty invaders. When the north falls and the Song imperial court is captured, Yue Fei and fellow commander Han Shizhong protect an escaping young Song prince from the Jin and rally an impassioned fight for the dynasty’s survival against a seemingly unstoppable enemy. This is the legendary struggle to save a collapsing empire and its people, retold as an epic Age of Empires IV campaign. A Brand-New Civilization: Jin Dynasty arrives as a fast, ruthless civilization built on three pillars of strength: Horse Grasslands that synergize with stables to boost military production, Emissaries that capture neutral settlements to establish Tributaries, and Gunpowder, turning the late game into a siege storm of fire and smoke.​



HUNTDOWN: OVERTIME

Hunt, die, upgrade, repeat in this explosive roguelite prequel to Huntdown where John Sawyer forges himself into a cybernetic legend. Fast, violent run-and-gun action ripped straight from VHS-era blockbusters. Tight controls meet brutal firefights in a roguelite loop designed for pure adrenaline. Collect bounties and survive as long as you can. When you finally go down, Tony drags you back to his operating table and rebuilds you stronger. Every run pushes you deeper into dangerous gang turf - from neon-soaked city streets to desolate wastelands. Choose your path, lock in on your targets, and adapt on the fly. Each death teaches you the patterns, each resurrection makes you deadlier. This is John Sawyer’s origin story: the transformation from man to cybernetic legend.​



Everything is Crab: The Animal Evolution Roguelite

Set in a living ecosystem, 'Everything is Crab' is a cute, challenging, highly replayable action roguelite. Everybody knows, eventually, every organism ends up evolving into a crab. Right? Well, except for you. Choose your own evolutionary path and strategy to thrive and defeat convergent evolution. It’s Spore meets Modern Roguelites.

As everybody knows, eventually, every organism ends up evolving into a crab. Right? Well, except for you. Choose your own evolutionary path and strategy to thrive and defeat convergent evolution. Take that, science!

A variety of bosses may (or may not) appear with each run. A living, thriving ecosystem with many different critters with their own goals and strategies, each of them with several stages of evolution. Four distinct biomes with different rules, climate events, points of interest, flora and fauna. A night and day cycle. Genetics (starting Characters), which can be combined to create endless starting character combinations. Challenge Scenarios to push your adaptation skills to the limit.​



Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes

You command a fleet of survivors relentlessly chased by the Cylon Fleet. Each new run represents another desperate attempt to rejoin Humanity’s last hope: the Battlestar Galactica. Prepare, fight, and survive at all costs. So say we all.

Fleet Management phases offer limited turns to prepare until the next inevitable Cylon assault. As the enemy draws closer, designate priorities to ensure your fleet’s survival: Dispatch expeditions to nearby points of interest for resources Allocate supplies and personnel to resolve urgent situations Upgrade ships for survivability and firepower Train crew to improve efficiency in and out of combat

Your decisions continuously affect the Fleet’s overall status: faction politics, healthcare, and maintenance levels. Each indicator dynamically triggers narrative events tailored to your fleet’s condition. Your fleet’s fate can evolve in drastic ways if you’re not careful: epidemics, critical system malfunctions, or even a full-blown civil war. In times of crisis, the Fleet looks to you to make hard decisions. Given your limited resources and time, determine if your fleet can afford to solve a crisis immediately or suffer its negative effects over time. Perhaps the most challenging crisis you’ll face will be discovering a Cylon has infiltrated your ranks: investigating suspects will cost resources, but taking too long will cost lives.

Rejoining the Battlestar Galactica is a perilous mission with no margin for error. Most fleets will fail, but each attempt will provide new ways to overcome the unforgiving odds stacked against your survival.​



Sister Ray

Sister Ray is an RPG-survival about the brutal daily life of Ray - an artist struggling with addiction, who takes care of her little sister. Look after your condition - no one should know about the addiction. Improve your drawing skills, sell your paintings, do everything to ease the ever-growing withdrawal. Survive and look for a way out.

Live each game day as you see fit. The only conditions are to survive and not get caught. Explore the city streets and visit important locations - the school, bar, park, police station, etc. Look for places to sketch or draw at home, raising your skill and opening new abilities. Maybe you’ll get to the exhibition after all?

The younger sister is the only person close to you. All your bad habits will become an example for her to follow. She shouldn't find out about the addiction. Relationships with others are an extremely fragile thing. Try not to lose your friends. Selling paintings, part-time work, speculation, pickpocketing - there are a great many ways to get some cash. But what will you spend it on?

Health : a fragile and capricious thing. Today you are sprinting away from the police, the next day you are lying on your last legs, poisoned by an unknown substance. What exactly will knock you down? Take your pick - there is death for every taste.​



Greenhearth Necromancer

Step into the shoes of a young necromancer tending their late grandmother’s garden. Not blessed with her green thumb, they must rely on necromancy to bring plants back to undead life and tend the spectral flowers. Grow into the Greenhearth community as you grow your garden, getting to know your neighbours and your grandmother’s familiar spirit, Compostifer. Uncover a heartfelt narrative from the BAFTA-nominated writer of I Was a Teenage Exocolonist all about community, grief, early adulthood, and the natural cycles of life.​



Directive 8020

Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. 12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone. Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth. Featuring Hollywood actor, Lashana Lynch as the ground-breaking astronaut, ‘Young’, experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity. Evade a deadly alien threat that roams the dark corridors of the ship, intent on eradicating human life. Encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not? Your choices are now more important than ever! Rewrite your destiny and change the course of your story with our new Turning Points story tree. Uncover multiple endings, unlock hidden paths, and save your crew from their fateful deaths.​



Better Than Dead

Better Than Dead is a brutal first-person shooter set in the depths of photorealistic Hong Kong. You play as a survivor who’s done running. She’s got a pistol, a bodycam, and a kill list. Every level is a raid. Every fight is personal. Saving the other girls isn’t enough — you have to find the ones who broke you and show the world as you take them down.​



Call of the Elder Gods

All is not well at Miskatonic University. Professor Harry Everhart tries to ignore the shadows flitting at the corners of his vision, while student Evangeline Drayton is haunted with impossible dreams of an artifact uncovered a decade ago. In their search for answers, the pair will uncover revelations more ancient than anyone could have imagined.

Harry and Evangeline’s journey takes them from the firelit libraries of a New England mansion to the red sands of the Australian outback, through frozen wastelands and otherworldly cities out of time.

Follow Harry Everhart and Evangeline Drayton as they search for the truth about their missing loved ones and come face-to-face with beings beyond their understanding. Inspired by H P Lovecraft's 'The Shadow out of Time', Call of the Elder Gods features a fully voice-acted story of grief, family, and sanity.​



Clockwork Ambrosia

In this steampunk/retro futuristic world, players take on the role of Iris, who can equip four different weapons: the Pulse Breaker, the Missile Launcher, the Revolver, and the Grenade Launcher. Players don’t hunt for ammo count upgrades but instead unearth secrets to reveal weapon mods that reprogram their weapon’s behavior in complex ways. These mods can power up bullets while disabling a round, fire extra bullets when a round is disabled, and so on, allowing players to craft unique builds through discovery and ingenuity. Players also unlock movement abilities like wall jumping and ceiling striding, along with armor, healing powers, and other effects. Scour the island for secrets, make new friends, defeat gorgeously animated foes, and build a loadout for Iris that is built to your taste!​



Vultures - Scavengers of Death

As a VULTURE operative, your mission is to extract material to aid in finding a cure for the infection. Send Leopoldo and Amber on their select missions and prepare for turn-based tactical survival against infected mutants. Find the key to our salvation.

Survive and extract the target from missions across 2 agents:
Leopoldo and Amber
Choose your tactics carefully - Resources are limited with unknowns around every corner. Sneak, disengage and prioritize your approach to every turn-based battle.
Extracting with the target is your ultimate goal - Get out alive using every tool and method at your disposal.

Scavenge a Ruined City
Scavenge across mission based locations:
Weapons, Resources, Keys, codes and clues

Inspired by some of the most foundational Survival Horror franchises like Resident Evil; Vultures embraces a retro PS1 aesthetic with mechanics that lead to a tense, horror filled exploration. Isolated as a single agent in the dark halls of the city, every choice could lead to a successful mission or death. Salento Valley - Ground Zero
A once bustling metropolis, Salento Valley now lies as a desolate battleground in the wake of a bio-hazard disaster. An enigmatic client has hired the Vultures, a small group of mercenaries specialized in infiltration, to enter the quarantine zone and uncover the origin of the infection, hoping to find a cure. Now, you will face increasingly challenging odds as you make your way through the cities ruins. Horrifying mutants and abominations lay in wait for fresh blood like you.​



American Truck Simulator - Illinois

Welcome to the beautiful Prairie State! Illinois showcases the best of what the USA has to offer. Hop into your rig, hit the legendary Route 66, and journey through Springfield, the state’s historic capital, to Chicago, one of the Midwest's most iconic cities. Travel alongside the mighty Mississippi River, which defines the state’s western border. Discover charming river towns, classic steamboats, and scenic vineyards dotting the landscape. In the southern part of Illinois, experience a blend of cities, lush farmland, and quaint small towns. Meanwhile, the northeastern region is a bustling hub of urban and suburban life, anchored by Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, nestled on the bank of Lake Michigan.​



Blades of Fire

You are Aran de Lira, the last warrior capable of forging true steel in a world where metal turns to stone. Your journey is not about collecting weapons, but about forging them through intent, sacrifice, and consequence, and surviving long enough to master their weight. Combat is deliberate and unforgiving. Every strike commits you. Every mistake costs you. Victory is earned through patience, positioning, and understanding both your enemy and the blade you forged to face them.

At the heart of Blades of Fire lies a forging system that is not crafting — it is commitment. Weapons are forged at the anvil through deliberate choices that permanently shape their behaviour, balance, and purpose. There is no endless loot. No disposable gear. Every blade reflects: The materials you chose. The enemies you prepare to face. The kind of warrior you decide to become. Because steel remembers.

The world of Blades of Fire does not unfold through constant exposition. Much of its history, myths, and meaning resides in Adso, Aran’s companion — a young, learned mindscholar with deep knowledge of the world and an eagerness to share it. He writes down everything and speaks when spoken to. Story is discovered through dialogue and reading, not through cutscenes. Knowledge comes from interest, not obligation. The world reveals itself only to those who ask.​



Whirlight - No Time To Trip

Hector is weird. His brilliance is matched only by his misfortune, and so his every creation turns out to be a failure. But just when his creative streak seems to have run out, his most amazing idea ever knocks on his door. To finish his new invention, Hector will have to explore the suggestive Verice Bay. However, right on the verge of achieving his goal, more trouble arises: what was supposed to be the solution to all his problems turns out to be a leap into the unknown. Fortunately this leads him to meeting Margaret, a strong and determined artist and a perfect travelling companion. Together they will embark on a series of adventures through space and time, amidst bizarre characters and unlikely situations, until they foil an imminent threat that looms over the entire world. This epic journey takes place in a universe where humor, fantasy and time travel come together with breathtaking hand-drawn graphics.​



Thrifty Business

In Thrifty Business, you’ll set up and manage your very own 90’s-inspired vintage thrift shop. Search through boxes filled with pre-loved gems and use them to create gorgeous displays. Listen to customer’s stories and try to fulfill their requests. You can also unlock and host hobbyist events, turning your business into a treasured third space for locals!​



Corsairs - Battle of the Caribbean

Released over 20 years ago, Corsairs gave you the chance to play as a privateer in the service of England, France or the Netherlands, seeking fame and fortune for your country. In Corsairs – Battle of the Caribbean, the strategy game reinvents itself in the ever-popular world of buccaneers, adding a welcome touch of modernity.

Tactical Naval Combat
Command a fleet of 12 distinct ship types and engage in tactical naval battles where positioning, ship stats, and ammunition choice are decisive.
Use three ammunition types, each with unique effects, to adapt your approach depending on the situation.
Fleet Progression & Upgrades
Upgrade your ships, fleets, ports and buildings to improve key statistics and unlock new strategic possibilities.
Careful investment decisions are essential to maintaining long-term dominance over trade routes and enemy forces.
Boarding & Ship Capture
Engage in boarding actions to fight enemy crews in close-quarters combat.
Boarding allows you to capture enemy ships instead of destroying them, forcing players to choose between quick elimination or higher-risk engagements to expand their fleet.

Campaign Mode – Five Nations
Play through five campaigns, representing France, England, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands, each offering its own strategic challenges and objectives across the Caribbean.​



Forza Horizon 6

Start your journey as a tourist and explore a world full of hit music and Japanese culture. Build a Valley Estate, acquire awe-inspiring homes, and display your prized car collection in fully Customizable Garages. Cruise the roads with your friends and join Car Meets around Japan, unleash your imagination with EventLab and build together in Horizon CoLab.

Welcome to Japan, a place where the stunning contrasts of rural and urban come together as you uncover the secrets hidden within Horizon’s most dense map yet, full of verticality, diverse biomes and spectacular driving experiences. Cruise the suburbs and iconic downtown streets or challenge yourself in the docks and industrial districts of Tokyo City, the largest ever urban area in a Forza Horizon game, and the home for car enthusiasts.

Drive over 550 real-world cars, including some much loved and fan favorite JDM classics, featuring cutting-edge engine audio and updated steering animations with up to 540 degrees of wheel rotation. As you explore Japan, collect special Forza Edition cars fitted with extreme modifications and find rare Aftermarket Cars to test drive and buy. Your path to making a name for yourself will see you meet the Legends of the Horizon Festival, participate in Touge Battles, and experience authentic stories rooted in Japan’s legendary car culture.

In Forza Horizon 6, you will explore a vast campaign of discovery and Festival racing, playable solo and in co-op with your friends. You’ll start as a tourist and must prove you’ve got what it takes to join the Horizon Festival as a rookie driver, all while you Discover Japan and complete your Collection Journal. Qualify for the Festival in the Horizon Invitational, then rise through the ranks in progressively faster cars and earn new Wristbands to become a Horizon Legend. Your newfound status will grant you access to Legend Island, an exclusive space reserved for the greatest drivers.​



Project: Mist

Experience an open-world survival horror. Jump in and face the consequences of your actions as you fight to survive in a harsh, unpredictable world. Every decision has impact, and mistakes can cost you progress, resources, or your life. Play solo or in seamless co-op. Take on a story-driven campaign alone or with friends, adapting your strategy to survive together. Coordinate roles, share resources, and react in real time as situations escalate. Explore a remote island and massive facilities. Venture across an open world filled with abandoned, mysterious facilities, strange ecosystems, and hidden threats. Each location introduces new challenges, from environmental hazards to unexpected encounters. Encounter giant creatures and unique bosses. Prepare, adapt, or run. Every encounter tests your planning, skill, or teamwork. Learn behavior patterns, exploit weaknesses, and use the environment to survive. Fight using physics with the Gravity Gun. Use the Gravity Gun to move objects, control space, and turn the environment into a weapon. Grab, throw, and manipulate enemies or debris to create your own solutions in combat and traversal. Build and expand a moving train base. Your base is always on the move. Upgrade, fortify, and defend it as you push deeper into the island. Customize its layout and defenses to support your playstyle and survive increasingly dangerous areas.​



Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core

All deep mining operations on Hoxxes have suddenly gone dark. An enormous transient disturbance has cut off all contact with our dig sites. Ever since The Grayout, nothing gets in or out.
The Deep Rock Galactic Corporation needs our mining facilities secured and operational immediately. Conventional measures don’t seem to be working.
That’s why we’re sending in the Reclaimers.

The Reclaimers are Deep Rock Galactic’s elite security force. Planetary mining is a dangerous business, after all. The pickaxe is a noble tool, but there are times when it must become a weapon.
Throughout the years, the Company has called on the Reclaimers when a situation requires a little applied force. When negotiations aren’t an option. When all else fails.
We’re sending you down to the lowest depths the Company has ever reached. These subterranean landscapes are largely uncharted territory. We’re counting on you to gather critical intel on these extreme environments close to the planet's core.
You’ll have to scrounge any weapons and equipment you can find within the mining facility, and craft enhancements by harvesting the wunder-mineral Expenite.
You’ll need to rely on your wits and weaponry. Collect guns, gear and personal upgrades along the way, and wield your game-changing Reclaimer Gauntlers in the heat of battle. Build your arsenal on the fly, experiment with lethal new combinations and get stronger as you go.
Down here, swift decisions and unflinching force are your keys to survival. Fight through the mines and pacify any resistance you may encounter. Time is of the essence – the longer you stick around, the higher the pressure.

The inhospitable depths of Hoxxes are home to a horrific new class of creature: the Core Spawn. We don’t know much about them, but one thing is certain: these creatures are more aggressive, resilient and intelligent than anything we’ve encountered before.
Management considers the Core Spawn to be a critical threat to our continued operations. Confront and dispatch them with extreme prejudice.

Coming back alive is only the beginning. Build, upgrade, and master your craft to make your Reclaimer a legend of the deep.​



SpaceCraft

You are part of a galaxy that evolves through player actions. Mine, craft, trade resources and ship parts. Buy and sell blueprints, accept or offer services, missions and contracts. Participate and adapt to the economy of the Universe, as each marketplace transaction affects prices.
True power lies in teamwork. Create or join Corporations and collaborate on a larger scale. Develop interplanetary production and logistics by assigning roles, dividing tasks, and managing everything from small crews to vast commercial empires.
Freely explore an immense universe where the vastness of space stretches before you, full of untold possibilities. Pilot your spaceship and journey through systems brimming with planets, asteroid fields, abandoned space stations and derelict ships. Cover great distances in an instant with Faster-Than-Light technology, jumping between distant systems with ease.
Maneuver through space in real-time, seamlessly transitioning from the depths of space to the surface of planets. Whether you’re scanning planets for valuable resources or charting a course to forgotten worlds, the Universe is yours. You’re completely free to explore it.
Planets hold an abundance of natural resources ready to be uncovered and exploited. As you explore and scan new systems, equip yourself with a variety of tools to extract raw materials. Scan your environment and use your ship to mine, extract and gather resources. Craft these resources into valuable materials or ship parts, and trade or sell them.
Build your ships by assembling crafted parts. Whether you're building small, nimble vessels or heavy transport cruisers, each added component impacts their performance. Alternatively, buy blueprints from other players for ready-made designs that you can build instantly. Once you have perfected your ship, sell its blueprint allowing others to build and pilot your creation.​



ATMOSFAR

Uncover the fate of humanity’s final outpost as you survive and explore a thrilling world of floating islands and soaring beasts. An open world travel through an open world of floating islands and aerial wonders. Discover how its airborne circumstances has shaped the creatures and biomes inhabiting it as you level up your piloting skills while navigating the skies. The Wasp is an agile vessel that can both zip through the sky and hover in place. Constructed in four different classes, each type of Wasp has its own set of unique appearance, abilities and aerodynamics. Deploy a foldable camp with the Utility Wasp, airlift heavy scrap with the Cargo Wasp, explore new terrain with the Scout Wasp or stun your enemies with the Fighter Wasp; it's all about bringing the right Wasp for the job. The Cloud Cruiser is a large and slow mobile airbase capable of housing everything important to you. Bring your Wasps and the fuel they need with you in the hangar section, furnish the lounge area to your preference and pilot the Cruiser yourself from the helm. You don't need to venture into ATMOSFAR alone! Up to four players can camp out, hitch a ride on a friend’s Wasp or fly in formation. Cooperate on the management and building of your collective Cloud Cruiser and experience the odyssey together. Orient yourself on a new home planet and investigate its alien characteristics. Discover a wealth of strange plants, explore lush biomes and observe looming alien creatures. Whether the weather, take cover when day turns to night or when calm weather and winds grow unfavorable. From howling jet streams to thunderous rainstorms, the treacherous weather of planet Tycos will require you to excel your piloting as you're traversing the skies.​



Thick As Thieves

In the shadow-draped streets of Kilcairn, fortune favours the bold. As a member of the Thieves’ Guild, you'll undertake daring heists to claim precious heirlooms and uncover arcane secrets hidden within this alternate-history 1910s Scottish city, where magic and early technology have begun to collide.

Whether working alone or playing online co-op, only the most cunning will seize their fortune in Thick as Thieves!

As a newly minted member of the Thieves’ Guild seeking to prove your talents, take on one of 3 Mission-types and 16 Contracts across a 4-hour campaign that will take you to two of Kilcairn’s well-guarded landmarks Plot your way through the streets and across rooftops to seize your fortune.​



Phonopolis

In the dystopian city of Phonopolis, life is orchestrated by omnipresent loudspeakers that dictate every aspect of people’s existence. Citizens, bound by the authoritarian Leader's commands, work in unison to achieve his grand vision. Soon, the Absolute Tone—a tone so strong that it would strip every citizen of their humanity forever—will be heard… By coincidence or perhaps by fate, young dustman Felix becomes the only person to consciously recognize the threat. Now, he must try to stop the Leader from indefinitely making every citizen a mindless servant. Loosely inspired by the works of Karel Čapek and George Orwell, the story of Phonopolis explores themes of social manipulation and individualism, but keeps the overall experience playful and light-hearted.

The game is set in a city built of actual cardboard, capturing the nostalgic charm of classic stop-motion films. Every piece of any building, every character, and every frame of any smoke or flame is hand-painted on a piece of paper, then digitized for use in the game’s 3D world.​



ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

You play as operant Hershel Wilk, alias CASCADE. Five years ago you led your team into the abyss and have been haunted by your failures ever since. Now you’ve been recalled for a mysterious assignment that may give you a chance to prove yourself again.

Fulfil the demands of your assignment by hunting down secrets hidden within the architecture of both the city and the human mind. Collaborate and clash with informants, loyalists, and agitators. Pass skill checks to get them to open up and improve your abilities with the experience you receive. The choices you make affect everything: the loyalty of your friends, the paths you can take, and the fragility of your mind.

You’ll go up against international bankers, foreign techno-fascists, psychic doppelgängers, a paranoid TV presenter, a man with a box for a heart, and dozens more. Everyone you meet has their own agendas, beliefs, and secrets for you to uncover and turn to your own ends. In ZERO PARADES, even the world itself is a character with its own secrets, traumas, and miracles for you to discover.​



Luna Abyss

You are a prisoner sentenced to explore a derelict megastructure that sprawls deep beneath the surface of the mimic moon Luna. You are tasked with recovering forgotten technology from within the Abyss and the lost colony it consumed. Every move you make will be overseen by your artificial prison guard named Aylin. These centuries-old ruins are alive with maddening echoes, insinuating secrets of the once prosperous city of Greymont and its terrible fate. The Scourge. The tenets of the All-Father. The choir of the Collective. The voices of the Abyss call to you; they whisper strange missives... “Don’t be afraid, little wanderer. You need only go deeper, the better to be seen by us. The slumbering silent one breathes deep and waits. All we need is the key. All we need is you.” Uncover the mysteries of the mimic moon, and the abyss within its depths. Come face to face with remnants of the colony’s downfall & discover your role within this doomed world. Learn all the secrets the abyss has to offer.​



Gallipoli

Faced with the deadlocked trenches of the Western Front, the Triple Entente looked for new pathways to victory. What was thought to be a quick expeditionary campaign to remove a German ally from the war, ended up in a disastrous four-year campaign: the Ottoman Empire wasn’t going down without a fight.

Gallipoli marks the fourth entry in the WW1 Game Series, further broadening its authentic and realistic FPS combat experience to give you the deepest dive into the Ottoman Fronts of World War 1 yet. Experience the varied battlefields of the front, including the Gallipoli and Mesopotamia campaigns. Land on the beaches of Gallipoli with the ANZACs to seize the Dardanelles, fight in the streets of war-torn towns to defend Ottoman-controlled soil, and charge to victory across no man’s land under the scorching sun.

It’s up to you to join the expeditionary campaigns of the Ottoman Fronts and experience the brutal combat of Gallipoli!​



Coffee Talk Tokyo

Coffee Talk Tokyo returns as a cozy, narrative-driven visual novel set in a late-night café in modern Tokyo. Brew drinks, listen to heartfelt stories, and shape the lives of humans and yōkai alike through meaningful conversations and impactful choices. In a city of paper and steel, where old and new coexist, a small café becomes a refuge from the sweltering summer heat. Behind the counter, you serve the right drink at the right moment while your customers open up about love, loss, identity, and second chances, all to chill lo-fi beats. What You’ll Do Behind the Counter: Listen to deeply personal, branching stories, Make dialogue choices that influence character outcomes, Unlock hidden Tomodachill posts through interactive hashtags, Discover multiple endings shaped by your decisions. Every shift brings new conversations, new connections, and new possibilities. While the atmosphere feels familiar, the customers and their journeys are entirely new. You’ll meet Kenji, a traditional kappa salaryman searching for meaning after retirement; Vin, the Barista’s assistant coping with a fractured past and the lingering consequences of a previous disaster; Ayame, a happy-go-lucky but recently deceased It girl struggling to understand her unexpected afterlife. And many more new faces, each story unfolds based on how you listen, respond, and serve.​



LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a narrative led action-adventure from TT Games, creators of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Step into Bruce Wayne’s journey to become Batman, forging bonds with trusted allies while facing Gotham City’s most dangerous and iconic DC Super-Villains.
Embark on a journey that begins with the origins of Batman as a young Bruce Wayne trains with The League of Shadows, becomes the hero of Gotham City, and forge a new family of allies with Jim Gordon, Catwoman, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl. Confront an ever-growing threat from across Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery as you face The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, and more.​



Bubsy 4D

Join Bubsy on a new, intergalactic, platforming adventure! The world’s most infamous, wise-cracking bobcat has returned to 3D with new challenges, new moves, and even more purrsonality – in space! Run, jump, glide, and roll across alien planets, battle robotic sheep, and collect tons and tons of yarn. Bubsy’s longstanding enemies, the fleece-obsessed Woolies, have stolen all of the Earth’s sheep. Oh well, that ain’t Bubsy’s problem. Until the sheep overthrow their captors and return as deadly BaaBots, empowered by Woolie technology, determined to steal Bubsy’s most prized possession, The Golden Fleece. With the help of his motley crew of acquaintances, Bubsy must journey through space to defeat the BaaBots and take back the Golden Fleece.​



Blood High!

You wake up to find your head and body separated. Perhaps someone who bore a grudge against you has cursed you. Fortunately, as a vampire, you are spared from immediate death, but your blood keeps draining away. You must replenish it to survive, hunt down the culprit who dared to curse you, and break free from this fate. Now, it’s time for a bloody revenge.

Blood High! is a fast-paced shooter with the spirit of classic FPS action. Absorb blood from fallen enemies to stay alive and keep yourself in a High state to enjoy extreme speed. Throw your head to wipe out enemies all at once and savor the thrill.​



Paralives

You will feel right at home, should you choose to embark. What kind of life will you build? Whether you focus on your career, finding love, building a family, or becoming the richest person in town, the story is yours to write in Paralives. But twists and forks in the road await. What will you leave behind? You live and then you die. At least, do it in a nice house! There are lives to create and stories to tell. You will be handed an advanced character creator called the Paramaker. Adjust the height of your Parafolks, tweak a wide array of facial and body features, design stylish outfits and create complex personalities. From head to toe, no small detail will be left out!​



Romestead

An apocalyptic event has left Rome in ruins. Its citizens reanimated into walking husks. Survive the hordes of the fallen hunting you in the night. In Romestead, you will need the artisans from all walks of life in order to craft and progress. Construct decorations around your town to increase your citizen’s happiness. Uncover new recipes from research and exploration. Automate your production lines with more advanced buildings and logistics.

In this game, after the fall of Rome the gods lost most of their worshipers, and in turn their powers. Perform offerings and sacrifices and then choose with your friends who to restore to glory. Each god has their own set of buffs and technology to unlock in the process. Explore a vast world. Uncover the secrets of your fallen empire in this massive procedurally generated world. Venture into the wilds for resources and treasure. Explore unique areas and biomes.​



LumenTale: Memories of Trey

Discover an emotional tale of self-discovery, adventure through captivating regions each as unique as their people. Join Trey as he navigates his way through a land full of mystical creatures to reveal the mystery behind his lost memories.

Long ago, in the golden era of Talea, the Emperor kept the lands peaceful, and the people prospered. After passing away without naming a successor between his twin sons, a civil war raged between the North, Logos and the South, Mythos - fighting for who would take control of the throne. The townsfolk lived in fear from the atrocities being carried out in the conflict. In a bid to stop the destruction, a part of the empire’s military became Talea’s dedicated protectors.

From the everlasting darkness of war, these people were the beacon of light that brought people hope. The Lumen were born, and as guardians in their provinces, they ensure the safety of the residents of Talea, both the people and the Animon.

Since ancient times, people have long studied the Animon. Not much is known of their nature to this day. They’re made of Anivis, an energy that flows through the whole world, and they possess the ability to affect emotions and interact with the very soul of every living being. Catch the Animon and become inseparable partners as you harness their elemental powers and battle alongside each other with your Holoken.​



Stonemachia

Zefiro, a pawn capable of transforming into other chess pieces, embarks on a perilous Dantesque journey in a world ravaged by the Plague of Angels. Venture into gloomy and forgotten lands and prepare to face armies of angels: statues and objects inspired by Italian art and folklore! Discover and unlock all of the armour transformations and their unique abilities in a dark action-adventure soulslike, where the shield can truly change the outcome of every encounter. Uncover the secret of the chess pieces and guide Zefiro through Medhelan on an epic quest to return to Heaven.​



Life Below

By the power of the mysterious reef heart you must restore balance, using the ocean floor itself as the foundation to build vibrant havens for sealife. Experience Thalassa’s journey in campaign mode, then undergo new challenges in freeplay.

Advised by marine biologists and shaped with authentic underwater audio, Life below introduces realism into its world of fantasy. Gameplay reflects natural rhythms and interactions, bringing the ocean floor to life with motion, color, and possibility.

In a twist on the city-building genre, resurrect entire ecosystems by strategically crafting and managing vibrant coral reefs to restore life to the deep. This will take a combination of energy-channeling coral, resource generating seashells, and much more to ensure the ocean’s floor not only survives, but truly thrives.

Appointed by Gaia, Thalassa must restore life to the reef. Become the ocean guardian, revive long-gone habitats, overcome oceanic instability and increase biodiversity.

With the perfect environment formed, you can lure over 40 different wildlife species from coral crabs and monkfish to distinctive hammerhead sharks. Admire your new school of fish close-up or watch over your entire colony, using a powerful new camera system. Under the reef heart’s watchful gaze, create and nurture your own sub-aquatic haven. However, housing them is only the start. To keep the underwater ecosystem thriving, you must cater to their needs and protect them from external threats.

From shifting biomes to outside influence, Life Below presents a range of challenges to navigate. Algae levels, PH balance and an infestation of lionfish aren’t the only challenges you’ll have to solve. More serious threats such as oil spills and garbage patches will call for creative strategies, requiring the help of special wildlife to overcome.

Every zone of the ocean floor will bring its own set of challenges. Temperature and acidity fluctuations along with a naturally limited area are only a few of the problems you’ll need to adapt to. Only by strategically adapting your playstyle to each environment can you efficiently expand your territory to restore the entire reef to its former glory.​



007 First Light

Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover an origin story of the world’s most famous spy. After a heroic act, young Naval air crewman James Bond is offered to join the newly revived Double 0 program. But when a mission to stop a rogue agent ends in tragedy, he must join forces with his reluctant mentor Greenway to expose a deep conspiracy and stop a looming coup at the heart of the State. Discover a new standalone, re-imagined James Bond origin story, and the events that lead an audacious young hero to become the best MI6 agent. Embark on missions in breathtaking locations, drive iconic vehicles, and dive into a cinematic adventure in pursuit of a rogue agent who’s always one step ahead.​



Starminer

In the vacuum of space, pilot your 150,000t warship between asteroids in real time with fully simulated physics. Balance material requirements with power, tonnage, and size while building your fleet to maximum efficiency. Will you create a large number of smaller, more nimble vessels or double down on a massive station packed with firepower? Harvest and process valuable materials from asteroids for profit, or use the resources for the maintenance and expansion of your mercenary fleet while doing missions for the highest bidders in the sector. Research new modules and tools to expand your fleet and mining stations. Build link gates to gain access to new riches in new sectors of space. The more you mine, the more you build and the greedier you get, the higher your heat signature becomes. Once it reaches critical levels, the aliens will detect you and you must defend your fleet at all costs using defense systems and ships of your design.​



Echo Generation 2

In Echo Generation 2, you step into the past as Jack, the father. What begins as a family vacation spirals into a mystery of hidden experiments, impossible realities, and the truth behind it all. A character-driven narrative is told across multiple perspectives. Each chapter follows different heroes, with distinct tones and worlds, from noir horror to neon-lit cyberpunk. As these stories unfold, connections emerge, revealing a larger mystery.​



Crashout Crew

Things move fast at DE NILE SHIPPING, and if they don't, you’re the problem. Make a crew of up to 4 overworked friends and drive into a frantic co-op forklift experience where teamwork is key, and disaster is inevitable. Our warehouse isn’t just a workplace, it’s a full-blown raceway! Our forklifts come tricked out with boost and drift capabilities for maximum productivity (and employee enrichment). Thanks to our forklifts’ patented “Easy-Grab” functionality, sorting and stacking is a breeze. Remember to constantly yell at your coworkers to keep the warehouse organized to avoid becoming buried under a pile of missed quotas. And chickens. Our warehouse is equipped to handle the most outlandish orders from across the globe. Lemons, anvils, explosives, primates… if you can dream it, we can deliver it! Fulfill a variety of unique contracts with over 20 types of boxes guaranteed to make your job a physics-based nightmare!! DE NILE SHIPPING understands that customer convenience comes at the cost of employee safety, so please handle any volatile orders with care. Any damages will come out of your paycheck!​



Map Map - A Game About Maps

In this cozy single player game, you explore wondrous landscapes to find a legendary lost treasure. In your search for clues, you travel from island to island and set up camp with your crew of adventurers. They task you with finding different places in the surrounding landscape. Explore the island, find the locations you are looking for and pinpoint them on your map. Complete quests for your companions and follow the trace of the hidden treasure. Use real cartography logic to mark landmarks, ruins, and secrets as accurately as possible onto your map. You choose how to approach each challenge, using observation and creativity to find your own solutions. Each island is filled with ancient ruins, wildlife, hidden paths, and cozy little details that reward curiosity and careful observation.​



Bounty Brawl: Most Wanted

In the darkest corner of the galaxy lies “Hunter Haven,” a guild recruiting only the elite. Bounty Brawl: Most Wanted is a high-octane Action Roguelite shooter game. Here, justice is just a commodity sold to the highest bidder. Whether you choose to go solo or squad up with friends, you must dive into hostile planets and track down the universe’s most wanted criminals. Master the Unique “Lasso”. Forget just running and gunning. Your Lasso is your lifeline and your deadliest weapon: Mobility is King: Grapple across gaps, zip in and out of combat, or trigger environmental traps to gain the upper hand. Execution Thrill: Stagger enemies and unleash devastating Lasso finishers for massive damage! Control the Battlefield: Save teammates from danger, maximize your DPS, and showcase your skills with stylish aerial maneuvers. Your Hunter, Your Playstyle. Choose from 8 distinct bounty hunters—no simple reskins here! Each character features fully independent attack modules, combat mechanics, and tactical roles. Visit the Black Market to purchase contraband upgrades and craft your unique build. With deep Roguelite progression, every run offers a fresh combat experience. Co-op Hunt... Into Betrayal?! Supports 1-4 Player Online & Local Co-op. For the most part, you are brothers-in-arms. You’ll need tight teamwork to clear randomized stages and defeat massive planetary bosses. But the moment the boss falls, the friendship might just crumble… The “Final Showdown”: There’s only one bounty, and only one winner. In the chaotic final moments before extraction, turn on your “teammates” and fight for the crown! Even a few seconds of friendly fire will have you laughing all night.​



STARDUST: Wish of Witch

A World of Adventure and the Star That Grants Wishes
The secrets bound to the stars, the journey of a boy and a girl—and a story of growth along the way.
The tomboyish warrior “Star” and her childhood friend, the mage “Yu”, set out on an adventure!
What awaits them at the end of the road?
Vivid Pixel Life Brought to the Screen
Full sprite animations paired with cinematic direction
create a deep sense of immersion, as if you were adventuring in a living world.
Steps Taken with Companions Toward the Origin of the Stars
Form a party with colorful companions and draw closer to the truth hidden within the stars.
And along that journey, your story is completed.​


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Stardew Valley

You've inherited your grandfather's old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won't be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town's most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!​

List of people who have completed it (send me a PM if completed!):
  • NONE SO FAR


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Dungeon Clawler

Complete 'Spinarosa'
Win a run with Spinarosa.

List of people who have completed it (send me a PM or tag me if completed!):
  • NONE SO FAR


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  • Notice a poster that is obnoxious or harmful to the thread? REPORT THEIR POST AND/OR WARN THEM.
  • Do not solicit/trade/sell/beg for games in this thread.
  • Do not spam post your game stats/games count or post damage lists from sales.
  • NO ANIME / J-ROCK / POP.

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  • How do I do giveaways? - Use our very own Mona, or use the [REPLY] tags ("Hide until reacted" in the toolbar)
  • How do I recommend a game / challenge / retro to the OP? - Send me a PM.
 
I'm going to do a quick review of the controller in my next controller newsletter. It isn't perfect and is missing some basic stuff, but its a massive step up over even the DualSense (my fav) let alone good controllers like Switch 2 Pro con. Also helps it has proper stick placement. Here's a good use case for the game. Playing Phonopolis is perfect with both trackpads on Deck so I can use that while docked or on ROG Ally:

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Between Larian, Warhorse, CDPR and Sandfall, Europe is the undisputed king of the RPG genre. Japan in second place while the US has fallen way behind. Honestly I'm struggling to think of any games from big US studios I'm really looking forward to.
Are there even any big US studios left? I thought they fired all people and just make AI slop nowadays.
 
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Reactions: ExistentialThought
Between Larian, Warhorse, CDPR and Sandfall, Europe is the undisputed king of the RPG genre. Japan in second place while the US has fallen way behind. Honestly I'm struggling to think of any games from big US studios I'm really looking forward to.
I'd agree that the US is bottom of the rung here, but I'd argue Japan's output is more voluminous and of equal or better quality.

But a lot of that is down to taste.

American game dev in general has been castrated by greed. However, not sure it's just a RPG thing. The quality and quantity in general has been shit.
 

Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Virtual Menus
How to get set up for quick access to all the commands you might need
Virtual menus are customizable on-screen menus controlled by selected inputs on your Steam Controller. While most commonly used with the trackpads, in some cases they can also be enabled with a thumbstick, the directional pad, button pads, or gyro.

Types of Virtual Menus

There are three types of virtual menus you can create.

Radial Menu - A circular menu will pop up on screen showing the assigned commands. You tilt/press the assigned input in the direction of your choice to make a selection.

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Touch Menu - Similar to radial menu, except the outputs are arranged in a grid or list format.

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Hotbar - A virtual hot bar you can navigate through, similar to inventory slots in a game.

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Creating Radial Menus

Radial Menus can be created for:

  • Trackpads
  • Thumbsticks
  • Directional pad
  • ABXY button cluster
Creating a radial menu can be done by selecting "Create Radial Menu" from the behavior drop down for the input you intend to use.

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After selecting Create Radial Menu, you'll need to name it. This will allow Steam to remember your menu in case you decide to use it with other inputs within that same game's configuration.

Once named you can start creating your menu options. You can add a command to the center of the menu by setting a Radial Menu Center Button (1). This allows the center of the circle to be a menu option as well. Note: Radial Menu Center button is only available in a menu created with the thumbstick or trackpads.

To add an entry for your radial menu, click Add Virtual Menu Entry (2) and map it like you would any other button. Continue adding entries to include all the options you want within the virtual menu. The maximum amount of entries you can have is 20.

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A preview of what you will see on screen will be shown on the bottom left Radial Menu Settings window.

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Customizing the Appearance of Radial Menus

For each Radial Menu Button, you can select an icon by selecting the circle to the left of the entry (1). You can give your entry a custom name by selecting the gear to the right of the entry (2), and selecting rename command.

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Using the Radial Menu in a game

For the thumbsticks, directional pad (D-Pad), and button pad, the default method for choosing and activating an entry in the Radial Menu is to highlight the desired entry while pressing down, then release the control while the selection is highlighted (Touch Release). Conversely, the trackpad default method involves pressing down on the control (Click).

More specifically:

  • For Thumbsticks: Tilt the stick until your choice is highlighted, then release.
  • For D-Pad and Button Pad, you need to press one of the buttons (D-Pad or ABXY) to bring up the menu. If the button you pressed is not the desired action, continue pressing as you rotate through the buttons to get to your choice, then release the button to activate. Note: Rotating through the options is a bit more intuitive for D-Pad, but you can do the same thing with ABXY and it will work.
We recommend maxing out D-Pad/ABXY radial menus at 8 options; anything higher than that and you won't have the fidelity to select some options.

  • For the Trackpads, highlight the desired selection and press down on it (Click).
To change the selection behavior, select General and Radial Menu Button Type.

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There are 4 ways to customize how the entry is selected:

  1. Click - The command is sent when the input is pressed
  2. Release - The command is sent when an entry is highlighted and the input is released
  3. Touch Release - The command is sent when an entry is highlighted and the input is no longer being touched
  4. Continuous - The command is continuously sent while the highlight is selected
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You can further customize the location and size of the menu in the on screen display section.

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Creating Touch Menus

Touch menus can be created for the following inputs:

  • Trackpads
  • Thumbsticks
  • Gyro
Creating a Touch Menu for these inputs is done by selecting "Create Touch Menu" from the behavior drop down.

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After selecting Create Touch Menu, you will need to name the Touch Menu. This will allow Steam to remember it in case you use it with other inputs within that game configuration.

After naming your Touch Menu, you will be presented an option to start creating your menu. To add an entry for your Touch Menu, select Add Command (1) for Touch Menu Button 1 and map like you would any other button. To add more buttons select Virtual Menu Entry (2).

Continue to add entries to include all the options you want for the virtual menu. The maximum amount of entries you can have is 16.

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A preview of what you will see on screen will be shown on the bottom left of the Create Touch Menu Settings window.

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Customizing the Appearance of Touch Menus

For each Touch Menu Button, you can choose an icon by selecting the circle to the left of the entry (1). You can give your entry a custom name by selecting the gear to the right of the entry (2), and clicking Rename Command.

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Using the Touch Menu in a game

For thumbstick and trackpad, the default method for selecting an entry in a Touch Menu is to highlight a selection and pressing in (on the thumbstick or trackpad) while the item is highlighted (Click). For Gyro, by default, the selection is done by pressing A.

To change the selection behavior, select general and select touch menu activation style.

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There are 4 options for how the entry is selected:

  1. Click - The command is sent when the input is pressed
  2. Release - The command is sent when an entry is highlighted and the input is released
  3. Touch Release - The command is sent when an entry is highlighted and the input is no longer being touched
  4. Continuous - the command is continuously sent while the highlight is selected
You can further customize the location and size of the menu in the on screen display section.

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Creating Hotbars

Hotbars can be created for:

  • Trackpads
  • Thumbsticks
  • Directional pad (D-Pad)
  • ABXY button cluster
Creating a Hotbar with these inputs is done by selecting "Create Hotbar Menu" from the behavior drop down.

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After selecting Create Hotbar Menu, you will need to name it. This will allow Steam to remember your menu in case you decide to use it with other inputs within that game configuration. After naming your Hotbar, you will be presented an option to start creating entries. To add an entry to your Hotbar, select Add Virtual Menu Entry. The maximum amount of entries you can have is 16.

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As you are creating the Hotbar menu, a preview of what will be seen on the screen is shown to the left of the Create Hotbar Menu Settings window.

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Customizing the Appearance of Hotbars

You can select an icon to show for your entry by selecting the circle to the left of the entry (1). You can give your entry a custom name by selecting the gear to the right of the entry (2), and selecting rename command.

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Using a Hotbar in a Game

To bring up the hotbar in a game, press "down" on the input you selected (for ABXY, "A" is considered "down"). Cycle through the options of the hotbar by pressing "left"/"right" on the input (for ABXY, "B/X" are considered "left"/"right" respectively). Once the desired command is selected press "up" on the input to send the command (for ABXY, "Y" is considered up).

Like the other virtual menus you can customize its size and location in the Onscreen Display section.

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Virtual menus are an extremely powerful tool that you can use along with your Steam Controller to have quick access to all the commands you need. Whether you want access to emotes in an MMORPG, or toggle between inventory slots in an extraction shooter, virtual menus give you instant access to any command, however you want to access them!

Learn more about Steam Controller on its product page, and keep an eye on the Steam Hardware Blog for more tips and tricks with how-to guides and closer looks.

Steam :: Steam Hardware :: Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Trackpads

Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Trackpads
A deeper dive into the many functionalities of the trackpads
Steam Controller launched on May 4th, with all the inputs you'd expect plus advanced features (like trackpads) that let you game however you like. The trackpads make every game on Steam playable by providing a ton of functionality to play games of all kinds:

-Need to map 20 hotkeys to a virtual menu? No problem.

-Want a giant screen shot button? Sure.

-Looking for a button that automatically delivers your favorite food? Oh, um. It can't do that. But even if you don't need additional in game functionality, the trackpads can also serve as superior cursor control or aiming experience compared to thumbsticks.

We touched on the capabilities of the trackpads briefly in a previous blog post about Steam Input Configurator, but wanted to provide a deeper dive on everything you can do. Here is how to get the most out of the trackpads on your Steam Controller.

There are two primary use cases for the trackpads:

  1. To control a mouse cursor or to aim. This is done two main ways:
    • As a mouse, you can use it as everything from a simple cursor that navigates UI buttons, to precise aiming in a highly competitive fast paced shooter. Utilizing both trackpads together can provide an even more complete mouse experience. We recommend this as a primary method. For games that do not handle mixed input (mouse/keyboard and gamepad at the same time causing performance issue or flickering input glyphs), set the template to a mouse/keyboard template. If seeing gamepad glyphs are really important, or a mouse/keyboard template will not work we recommend "as a joystick".
    • As a joystick, it's similar to above but used more often when games struggle with mixed input (mouse/keyboard and gamepad at the same time). This makes the game believe a joystick is being used, but the actual interaction feels like a mouse. This requires a lot of fine tuning to make a good experience.
  2. As a way to provide mapping for various keys, buttons, shortcuts, or system level functionality that isn't possible with a traditional controller. This can be done many ways, but the two most common are:
    • As a button/button cluster/directional pad: You can assign each trackpad as one big button or each direction on each trackpad to a separate button, which gives you access to 4 more buttons per trackpad that are easy to press.
    • As a virtual menu: If 4 buttons per trackpad aren't enough (no judgment!), you can create a radial/touch menu so touching a trackpad pulls up a customizable menu with up to 20 options.
The above is not exhaustive (see the below in this guide for all of the options) but it is what we consider to be the most common use cases. This guide will explain how to set these different scenarios up.


The many options for your Trackpads

In the Steam Input Configurator, when selecting the Trackpad Behavior drop down, you will be presented with the following options:

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Here's a breakdown of what each of these options mean:

  • None - The trackpad will be turned off
  • As Mouse - The trackpad will emulate a mouse. Note: If you select "As Mouse" and the game you are playing begins flashing controller glyphs and keyboard glyphs rapidly, or even crashing, please try setting the controller config to full mouse and keyboard using the layout templates. If you strongly desire controller glyphs, try "As Joystick" (see below).
  • Flick Stick - Turns a left/right/down swipe into a rapid, predetermined amount of pixel rotation. Typically used for rapidly turning (90/180 degrees) in competitive games, or for making large scale adjustments when using another input for fine aiming (gyro or other trackpad)
  • Mouse Region - Set the trackpad to emulate a mouse, but only in a rectangular subsection of the full screen. This can be useful if a game you are playing has a key UI HUD located in the same place the whole game. The dimensions and location of the rectangle are fully customizable.
  • Joystick - The trackpad will emulate a joystick: Press on the top part of the trackpad and the output will be like a fully deflected thumbstick pressed up.
  • As Joystick - The trackpad will emulate a mouse, but provide an output like a thumbstick. Works for games that do not handle mouse input and gamepad input at the same time. (Note: You may need to tweak sensitivity or deadzoning settings in the game for best responsiveness.)
  • Directional Pad or Button Pad - The trackpad will emulate a 4-way directional pad or button cluster (ABXY). Press on the top, bottom, left or right of the trackpad to get a direction, or button. You can map the output of each direction like you map any other button. (Note: Directional Pad includes the capability to press "diagonals" - i.e. top right corner will press Up and Right together)
  • Single Button - Make the trackpad a giant button by setting it to behave as a single button. Press down on it and get the assigned output.
  • Directional Swipe - Use directional swipe gesture to provide an output, Swipe Up, Down, Right or Left. You can map the output of each swipe like any other button.
  • Scroll Wheel - Rotate clockwise or counter clockwise on the trackpad. Great way to emulate the scroll wheel on a mouse to zoom in and out in a RTS game.
  • Radial Menu - The trackpad will pop up an on-screen menu over the game that can be customized to include whatever output you like.
  • Touch Menu - Similar to Radial Menu, except it provides selections in a grid format.
  • Hot Bar - Creates a virtual hot bar: Press down on the trackpad to bring it up; press right or left to cycle through options; then press up to select the item.
Note: For more information on radial menu/touch menu/hot bar, see Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Virtual Menus.


Using Your Trackpads as Mouse Replacements​

Many games on PC are intended to be used with a mouse: Older games, deckbuilders, point and click adventures, fast-paced FPS and many puzzle games are great examples of this. The right trackpad is commonly used as a mouse replacement for these types of games. You can build up functionality of a full mouse based on the games you want to play and how you want to play them.


Mouse control - FPS games, or games where you only need to "aim" with the trackpad

Select one of your trackpads to "As Mouse" in the configuration tool. This will make the trackpad behave as a mouse (movements of your thumb will directly move the mouse cursor).

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Clicking the gear next to "Behavior" will give you several options:

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Options to adjust settings, including:

  1. Sensitivity - The higher the value for sensitivity, the more mouse motion you will see for a given swipe on the trackpad. Adjust this if you think you need to swipe too much (or too little) for how the motion appears in game.
  2. Vertical Sensitivity - Changes the sensitivity ratio between horizontal and vertical motion on the trackpad. In most FPS games, you can move around horizontally forever, but vertically only until looking fully up or down. Because of this, you might prefer much more sensitivity horizontally than vertically.
  3. Invert X/Y output - Toggle these to invert your output. Similar to using a flight stick.
  4. Trackball Mode - In trackball mode, when you swipe and let go, the swipe will have momentum (like a ball rolling) and will continue to move the mouse in that direction for a while. If you prefer the mouse to stop as soon as you release your finger, turn this off.
Adjust these to your preference.

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Tips for using in FPS gaming:

  • Mapping left/right mouse click to the left/right trigger makes the layout feel more like a traditional gamepad layout. Depending on the game making the left trackpad a directional pad as a short cut for various equipment, or a virtual menu to help with inventory management or quick chat events.
  • Protip: Shooting, jumping, reloading, etc while aiming is important in fast paced FPS games, Mapping A, B, X, Y to R4, R5, L4, and L5 allow you to continue aiming while doing actions typically mapped to the ABXY button cluster.
Mouse + Click - Casual point and click, deckbuilders, etc.

Adding click to mouse control gives you ease of moving a mouse and clicking and dragging. By default the left click behavior for when you set a trackpad "As Mouse" will be pushing the same trackpad in (click). However if a game requires any kind of drag and drop behavior or has small targets, it is advised to map left click to a separate input. In many templates it is set to right trigger.

We have found one of the most interesting ways to do this is to set the opposite trackpad to left and right click. On most templates the left trackpad is set to a directional pad, and we can just leverage that to turn it into a left and right click. In the drop down make sure Directional Pad is selected:

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If you just want the trackpad to be left and right click, you will need to disable the up directional and down directional input. You can do this by clicking in the gear settings and then select remove command.

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Then map the left directional to left click and the right directional to right click.

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With this layout, you can comfortably play any game that requires mouse and clicking/dragging. We've played this way in a lot of deck builders and casual point and click games.


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Mouse + Click + Scroll Wheel - Strategy games, RTS, games that need zooming

In many games the mouse scroll wheel is used to do several things, including scrolling through long lists of items or zooming a camera in and out. Building on the directional pad method for left/right click mentioned above, we have found mapping the up direction and down direction to "Scroll Wheel Up" and "Scroll Wheel Down" works well. Click in each box like the previous section, navigate to mouse, and assign scroll wheel up and down.

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One important note: if you want it to behave as a continuous scroll, you will need to click the gear icon → Settings → Turn on "Hold to Repeat (Turbo)". You can change the "Repeat Rate" to tune how fast the scroll command repeats


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If you need middle mouse click (for rotating or panning), you can set right trackpad click to middle mouse click. Or, if you don't like pressing and dragging at the same time, you can put middle mouse click on one of the grip buttons (L4/L5/R4/R5).

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While this above set-up works great for us, you may find a better one for you, Feel free to experiment and share your configurations. That is one of the most exciting parts about how the Steam Input Configurator works - you can map it how you like!


What if I just want more buttons?

If you just want more buttons, you can always set both trackpads to directional pads, button pads, single buttons, or even button swipes. All of these give you the ability to add more easily accessible buttons to your game, up to 8 if you use two trackpads as directional pads.


While you could do this for gamepad buttons, it is also powerful when remapping keyboard keys.

Mapping Keyboard Keys​

Depending on how many keys you need for a game you have several options. If you only need a couple of keys then setting the trackpad to a "Button Pad" or "Directional Pad" would work as well.

Mapping keyboard keys is similar to how you map other buttons, in this example you can set the left trackpad as a "Directional Pad" and then select "Add Command".


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Select Keyboard from the input options and then select the key you would like to emulate.


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Many games require a ctrl or shift press for an input, to act as an modifier. One example is in RTS control is often used to select or modify a group. To set an input chord to be control + 1.


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Select the settings of the Control Key.


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Select "Add Extra Command"


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This creates a chord for Ctrl + 1.


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Not enough - more buttons please!

If 8 additional buttons aren't enough (we've played MMORPGs, we know how it goes), then virtual menus are another place where the trackpads shine. You can set the trackpad to bring up a virtual menu that can give you quick access to your own custom action menu within a game. Radial menus can have up to 20(!) options built in; touch menus up to 16; and hot bars up to 16.

We have a guide 100% focused on setting these up (Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Virtual Menus), but wanted to mention it while you're thinking about trackpads:


Radial Menu - A circular menu will pop up on screen that point or move in a direction to select:

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Touch Menu - Similar to radial menus, except the outputs are arranged in a grid or list format:

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Hotbar - A virtual hot bar that can be navigated and selected, similar to inventory slots in a game:

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Other Ways to Use Your Trackpads​

If the game you want to play already has good controller support, the trackpads can still provide additional functionality. An example is using the trackpads to system level functions, like the volume buttons or capturing a screen shot.

Using Directional Swipes to Change Volume

We've found one intuitive way to change the volume is to use the "directional swipe" trackpad behavior option.


From the trackpad behavior dropdown select Directional Swipe:

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For Swipe Up, select System → then Volume Key Up:

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For Swipe Down, select System → Then volume down.


To make the swipes more responsive (move the volume more positions with one swipe): select the gear next to the Directional Swipe drop down and in the Scroll Wheel Mode drop down select Vertical Only.

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Using the Trackpad to Invoke the On-Screen Keyboard

Another usage is to bring up the on screen keyboard. This is super handy because interacting with the on screen keyboard, for a controller, can feel challenging. We've designed the trackpads to be a simple and fast way to type.

In the trackpad behavior drop down, select Single Button.

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Select Click, "add command." System → Show Keyboard.

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We find this interaction is best while setting the button behavior to "Start Press". Select the gear to the right of "Show Keyboard", select Regular Press and then Select Start Press. This will make the keyboard appear as you press down.

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With the power of the two trackpads and the Steam Input Configurator, virtually anything is possible with the Steam Controller. We encourage you to explore different ways to use the trackpads for how you like to play.

Learn more about Steam Controller on its product page, and keep an eye on the Steam Hardware Blog for future how-to guides and closer looks. We also have this video on our official YouTube channel that takes you on a quick-start tour of Steam Controller.
 
I never could understand why they signed up to be EGS exclusive years after it became obvious that doing so was a net negative for most publishers. At least this explains it...

I remember a tweet from the CEO, claiming that he had numbers that proved that people buy games they want, no matter what storefront they are sold on. I assume the amount of pre-orders didn't confirm this ridiculous claim.
 
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Three years later I wanted to revisit Newell's efforts for two reasons. One, I find it interesting--not commendable, just interesting--that in a world where most of the billionaire class seems intent on feeding us to machines while they wait out a coming apocalypse in bunkers, Valve's CEO is pouring a significant amount of his money into science boats.

And two, while you'd assume a man making billion after billion would be buying more yachts, in this case he's technically engaged in an act of de-yachting, because as Luxury Launches reports, Newell has recently taken what used to be one of the world's fanciest private ships and had it transformed at shipbuilding company Oceanco (which he owns) from bow to stern into a working support and research vessel, designed to accompany the flagship of his deep sea research company, Inkfish.

I'm not pointing this out to glorify or congratulate him. There are no good billionaires, because nobody needs that much money, and Steam absolutely does not need to be taking such a huge cut from developers, especially smaller ones, that it's able to help fund a man getting a luxury superyacht retrofitted (by a ship-building company he owns!), for a marine research company he also owns.

But in 2026, on a scale of what billionaires are doing with their cash, this is at least as far away from the Elon Musk/Jeff Bezos/Peter Thiel side of the spectrum as you can get, outside of maybe doing what I would do with a few billion dollars to burn: buy a Premier League club.

An article about Gabe's boats that is more than "yacht man bad"? Never thought I'd see the day.
 
I'd agree that the US is bottom of the rung here, but I'd argue Japan's output is more voluminous and of equal or better quality.

But a lot of that is down to taste.
Talking taste: even if you like JRPGs in particular, Expedition 33 is better than anything Japan has made in the past 5 years in that genre.

(I gave myself a few weeks after I finished Expedition 33 before I posted anything about it so that I have a more grounded perspective, but I still feel that this is true even now after that waiting period. I really have to write a longer post about it soon)
 
They take the 30% out of the controllers as well?? That does it, I'm going to send some very sternly-worded letters to GabeN right now.
You might want to sit down and make sure you are not currently drinking anything while reading this.
They actually make 100% (after tax) on the controller.
 
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Talking taste: even if you like JRPGs in particular, Expedition 33 is better than anything Japan has made in the past 5 years in that genre.

(I gave myself a few weeks after I finished Expedition 33 before I posted anything about it so that I have a more grounded perspective, but I still feel that this is true even now after that waiting period. I really have to write a longer post about it soon)
I disagree. I think Ex33 is pretty good, but not as good as my two favourite JRPGs from 2024: Metaphor: Refantazio and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

But that's what I mean when I say accounting for taste, really. The best games really are at a level where quality is hard to quantify and it all comes down to taste.
 
The action combat in E33 is more interesting than Refantazio by a mile. Even if you prefer one over the other it is inarguable that E33's combat system is new, while Refantazio's is basically the same SMT combat system we've all seen before. The novelty is good for the genre as a whole. And if you play a lot of JRPGs and RPGs more broadly, having more interesting and crucially GOOD systems out there is essential.
 
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The action combat in E33 is more interesting than Refantazio by a mile. Even if you prefer one over the other it is inarguable that E33's combat system is new, while Refantazio's is basically the same SMT combat system we've all seen before. The novelty is good for the genre as a whole. And if you play a lot of JRPGs and RPGs more broadly, having more interesting and crucially GOOD systems out there is essential.
E33's action combat is the worst part of the game.
 
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The action combat in E33 is more interesting than Refantazio by a mile. Even if you prefer one over the other it is inarguable that E33's combat system is new, while Refantazio's is basically the same SMT combat system we've all seen before. The novelty is good for the genre as a whole. And if you play a lot of JRPGs and RPGs more broadly, having more interesting and crucially GOOD systems out there is essential.
Even if you completely disregard the action part, I believe that just mechanically E33 is still far more interesting. The variety of builds you can create is huge, and there are lots of synergies to discover. I'd argue that even individual weapon skills in E33 are often more impactful and fun to consider the possibilities of than doing another Atlus rock paper scissors thing.

(Out of E33, FF7R and Metaphor I actually put a lot of time into all 3 of them, but Metaphor is the only one I didn't complete; FF7R is certainly not bad but severely bloated)
 
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I liked E33 gameplay, but I vastly preferred Metaphor's one
And E33 combat system is not new at all, it goes back to Mario RPG and was seen more recently with Sea of Stars for example
I've completed Sea of Stars. It doesn't have even a fraction of the mechanical depth of E33's systems.

That's not saying that Sea of Stars is a bad game, but it's more at the level of the popular SNES JRPGs that clearly inspired it when it comes to actually meaningful strategic choice in character and party selection.

Edit: I should clarify that obviously I don't think that mechanical complexity is the be-all end-all of game quality (I mean, just look at my icon, that would be pretty silly of me). In fact, it might not even always be a positive, someone might well be looking for a more straightforward experience. But for me, when it's specifically about how much I value the mechanics in a party-based RPG, a huge factor is how much I feel like I can discover a variety of potentially powerful combinations of mechanics, make choices to build towards them, and (if I was right) reap the benefits. And E33 excelled at that.
 
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I'd agree that the US is bottom of the rung here, but I'd argue Japan's output is more voluminous and of equal or better quality.

But a lot of that is down to taste.

American game dev in general has been castrated by greed. However, not sure it's just a RPG thing. The quality and quantity in general has been shit.

Europe also has Owlcat that they didn't mention and some indies that come to mind like the guy that made Chained Echoes which I thought was fantastic is German

I think i'd agree with you still but it's certainly at least gotten a lot closer than I ever thought it would
 
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Even if you completely disregard the action part, I believe that just mechanically E33 is still far more interesting. The variety of builds you can create is huge, and there are lots of synergies to discover. I'd argue that even individual weapon skills in E33 are often more impactful and fun to consider the possibilities of than doing another Atlus rock paper scissors thing.

(Out of E33, FF7R and Metaphor I actually put a lot of time into all 3 of them, but Metaphor is the only one I didn't complete; FF7R is certainly not bad but severely bloated)

I do feel like it's sort of too much for it's own good in that regard

I broke that game in half to the point where it kinda ruined the combat a bit later in the game to be honest, being able to break the balance to that extent felt like one of the few flaws in a game I overall really liked
 
Europe also has Owlcat that they didn't mention and some indies that come to mind like the guy that made Chained Echoes which I thought was fantastic is German

I think i'd agree with you still but it's certainly at least gotten a lot closer than I ever thought it would
Oh god yeah, Europe is on the up and the quality of games coming from the continent is outstanding, and only getting better.

No one can harp on about "Eurojank" when games from Europe actually ship and are good.
 
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Looking at my play history, my most played games the past few weeks have been American (Deadlock), Chinese (Wuthering Waves and Honkai Star Rail), South Korean (Crimson Desert) and British (Forza Horizon 6). Japan has actually been slacking as the only notable game I've played from that country lately is Pragmata.

I've never sat down and gave much thought about the countries the games I've played are from, but it's kind of neat that the games I've enjoyed come from such a wide variety of locations.
 
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