Poncle studio has launched the mobile version of Vampire Crawlers, a turn-based card roguelike game with dungeon exploration. The mobile version is priced significantly higher than the PC version on Steam, causing controversy among players.
DroidDeck differs from Steam Link, GameNative, and Winlator by running games on the phone itself, using FEX to translate x86 PC code for ARM-based Snapdragon chips. DroidDeck also supports GOG, Epic Games, and Amazon Games, installs a Linux desktop mode, Linux apps, emulators, Decky plugins, and LSFG frame generation. DroidDeck is compatible with phones with Adreno 730 or newer GPUs, excluding most Google and Samsung models. To set up DroidDeck, download the APK, install the Linux runtime, adjust developer options, and sign in to Steam.
DroidDeck is an app that allows Android users to launch Steam and Steam titles on their devices, offering a handheld console experience similar to the SteamOS. Despite some early flaws, the app is gaining popularity and has the potential to become a serious contender in the handheld gaming market.
DroidDeck is an open-source project that brings the Steam client to Android devices, allowing users to download and run games locally on their devices. It supports Steam Input, performance monitoring, GPU driver management, upscaling, and frame generation. Early testing has shown promising results with games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Skyrim Special Edition running smoothly at high settings. The latest version, 0.3.2, includes new features and improvements, but requires Android 9 or newer and Adreno 730 or newer GPUs.
Wonder Boy in Monster Land, originally released in Japanese arcades in 1987 and later on the Sega Master System, has been listed on Steam by Retro Maniac, a developer with a limited portfolio. The title is misspelled as "Wonderboy," raising concerns about the legitimacy of the release. The ownership of the Wonder Boy franchise is split between LAT Corp, which holds the intellectual property rights, and Sega, which retains the trademark. This dual ownership complicates any re-release under the Wonder Boy name, as seen with previous titles that successfully navigated licensing agreements. The original arcade version was released as Adventure Island in the U.S., leading to confusion about the game's lineage. Concerns about the Retro Maniac port were raised by the Wonder Boy Universe fan account and composer Shinichi Sakamoto, who noted it is not available in Japan and may be unauthorized. The port appears to be a ROM running within the MAME arcade emulator. The listing is reportedly facing a DMCA takedown process initiated by Sega or LAT Corp.
Omer Develioğlu, co-founder of Northend Games, reported that his indie titles, Northend Tower Defense and Deepstone Rift (Early Access), generated a gross income of 0,000 from approximately 135,000 units sold on Steam over five years. After expenses and revenue sharing, he and his co-founder received only ,000 to split, resulting in an annual income of about ,000 each. A significant portion of their sales, around 53.3%, came from China. Steam charges a standard fee of 30% on sales, which deducted ,000 from their earnings. Additionally, U.S. withholding taxes reduced their total earnings further, leaving them with ,300.
Artificial intelligence, particularly through large language models (LLMs), is expected to significantly impact the gaming industry by enhancing non-player characters (NPCs). However, practical implementation has been limited, with few titles like Where Winds Meet exploring this technology. A case study from the developers of Teach My Little Sister How To Drive highlights the financial challenges of integrating LLMs, as daily operational costs have exceeded ,000 due to high player interactions. The developers, Easy Fox, have taken out a bank loan to sustain the demo but are uncertain about its long-term viability. They are considering alternatives like local AI models for players with powerful GPUs, though this would limit accessibility. The game’s reliance on a premium LLM raises questions about its necessity, especially given existing design challenges such as artificial dialogue and misinterpreted commands. The full release of the game is scheduled for January next year.
Game director Chris Roberts announced that Squadron 42, the single-player component of Star Citizen, will be released in Q2 2027 to avoid clashing with Grand Theft Auto 6. A dedicated Steam page for Squadron 42 has been created, listing the game’s system requirements and indicating an install size of 150GB. The game does not reference modern features like ray tracing or DirectX 12. High-profile actors Gillian Anderson and Henry Cavill will appear in cutscenes.
