Valve reveals the top Steam Deck games for April 2023

A, right, it's May!

... and hwsurvey is fluctuating again:

Linux 1.32% +0.48%
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QuoteWhat have you been playing?

In April I've mostly been playing Syberia 2 and Bridge Constructor Portal. I've got to the penultimate level in the latter, now. The little one's mostly been playing Dead Cells.

QuoteWhat have you been playing?

I haven't really played anything yet this week, but I am currently picking out some tenuously-royalty-related games to play during the coronation weekend!

QuoteWhat have you been playing?

Mostly still Slay the Spire and Pokémon: Infinite Fusion. With the latest monthly sprite pack, some of the sprites I made are now in the game.

…but I just started a new Minecraft world with a friend in the FTB Plexiglass Mountain modpack, so that's been the majority of my gaming time lately (and on my desktop, I wouldn't feel comfortable playing Minecraft with a controller).

Quoting: PhiladelphusMostly still Slay the Spire and Pokémon: Infinite Fusion. With the latest monthly sprite pack, some of the sprites I made are now in the game.

That's awesome! Which ones, if you don't mind me asking?

I've cleaned parts of the garden – mostly the strawberry and the raspberry regions. Some of the herbs on the balcony are ready, others (mostly basil and two kinds of parsley) are in preparation.

I've started playing The Pedestrian

Quoting: Penglingsome tenuously-royalty-related games to play during the coronation weekend

Portal 2? Not really royalty, but very pompous.

Quoting: KlaasPortal 2? Not really royalty, but very pompous.

Haha, nah - these are all emulated picks. I'll reveal them in this week's Weekend Players' Club thread on the forums, when it's time.

Quoting: Pengling

QuoteWhat have you been playing?

I haven't really played anything yet this week, but I am currently picking out some tenuously-royalty-related games to play during the coronation weekend!

Crusader Kings!!, Lol.


I think I'm gonna play Rimworld and Skyrim. I just started Skyrim and I like it (it's interesting to see the evolution from Arena to Morrowind to Skyrim on the RPG side).

RimWorld is an old standby, but it'll run on my laptop. I'm debating buying the DLC. I know it's more mechanics than content (mods can add content easily). But it's a very steep price for all three 🤔

Quoting: Pengling

Quoting: PhiladelphusMostly still Slay the Spire and Pokémon: Infinite Fusion. With the latest monthly sprite pack, some of the sprites I made are now in the game.

That's awesome! Which ones, if you don't mind me asking?

Not at all! Let's see, there's Shedinja + Houdour/Houndoom in February, then Magikarp/Yanma, Sandshrew/Aerodactyl, and Drifloon/Ponyta in March. In April (the sprite pack for which should be out pretty soon) I got inspired and did all the Eeveelutions + Aron, Remoraid/Wailmer (two variants with different teeth), and Lickitung/Ariados. Haven't decided my next project yet, I might go back and do Gyarados/Yanma. But it depends on where inspiration strikes.

Quoting: denyasisRimWorld is an old standby, but it'll run on my laptop. I'm debating buying the DLC. I know it's more mechanics than content (mods can add content easily). But it's a very steep price for all three 🤔

So, my entirely, 100% subjective opinion: I generally think Paradox DLCs are fine (and I have a lot); they're worth the price to me for what they add. The RimWorld DLCs feel, to me personally, like they could be twice as expensive and I'd still be getting a bargain for what they add. I had trouble believing just how much new stuff they each added, I think I've played full games with less content.

Not to say you should get them, everyone has different likes. But boy do they add a lot of stuff.

(And if you like mods, there's a really awesome one called Vanilla Psycasts Expanded that overhauls the sci-fi magic system from Royalty to make it less of a crapshoot and more like an RPG with skill trees for each psionic character! )

Quoting: PhiladelphusSo, my entirely, 100% subjective opinion: I generally think Paradox DLCs are fine (and I have a lot); they're worth the price to me for what they add. The RimWorld DLCs feel, to me personally, like they could be twice as expensive and I'd still be getting a bargain for what they add. I had trouble believing just how much new stuff they each added, I think I've played full games with less content

I agree with you in regards to the DLC. For me, the debate is less "Do I get value for the price?", and more "Can I afford it?". I don't think I was super clear and wasn't intending to argue that they are over priced (they aren't). I think for some of these games and DLC's, they can be vastly underpriced for what they offer, but I also understand if they raise their prices too much, some people don't won't be able to buy them.

I played a bunch of Vanilla Expanded years ago. It was a lot of fun! I might have to try it again!

Quoting: PhiladelphusNot at all! Let's see, there's Shedinja + Houdour/Houndoom in February, then Magikarp/Yanma, Sandshrew/Aerodactyl, and Drifloon/Ponyta in March. In April (the sprite pack for which should be out pretty soon) I got inspired and did all the Eeveelutions + Aron, Remoraid/Wailmer (two variants with different teeth), and Lickitung/Ariados. Haven't decided my next project yet, I might go back and do Gyarados/Yanma. But it depends on where inspiration strikes.

That's so cool! One of my favourite YouTubers posted a stream-recording of the game a day or so ago, so I'll have to keep an eye out!

Quoting: denyasisFor me, the debate is less "Do I get value for the price?", and more "Can I afford it?". I don't think I was super clear and wasn't intending to argue that they are over priced (they aren't).

Oh, gotcha! That's totally understandable. For the record I didn't think you were complaining about the value for the cost, I kinda just wanted to gush about how impressed I was with it – but of course if one can't afford the cost in the first place it doesn't matter how good the value is.

Quoting: denyasisI played a bunch of Vanilla Expanded years ago. It was a lot of fun! I might have to try it again!

Yeah, I tend to play with a lot of the "Vanilla Expanded _______" mods, they're pretty great.

Quoting: PenglingThat's so cool! One of my favourite YouTubers posted a stream-recording of the game a day or so ago, so I'll have to keep an eye out!

Hahah, thanks. I'm pretty new to pixel art but the community's been super helpful and supportive. I'll check out that video, I love watching people's reactions to the various fusions!

Hades, Hades, Hades... It was desperately difficult for me (I'm not good at these games) and only managed to get to the "end" a single time in months of playing, but the story stuck. Now, suddenly, I got good enough to start significantly moving the story forward, and the game just continues to be a blast.

Goes to show that the basic game mechanics can be very simple, and let the game be carried by the storyline, characters and skill progression.