r/SteamdeckGames • u/DeadlyDispatch • Jul 14 '26
Developer Going for Steam Deck Verified on my zombie puzzle game. Honestly it might be the best way to play it.
I'm the dev on Deadly Dispatch, a tactical zombie elimination puzzle game. You build a multi-stage bomb and drop it on the horde. The whole thing is a balancing act: enough firepower to clear them out, but not so much that you bring down the structures protecting the survivors. It all runs on physics chain reactions, so no two drops play out the same.
Honestly, I was skeptical about the Deck at first. But I own one, so I tried the game on it, and it just plays best there. Deck Verified is the goal for launch. I haven't submitted yet, but here's the work that's gone into making the Deck experience right:
- Full controller support with native glyphs. Nothing needs touch or a keyboard.
- Rumble tuned on the actual hardware, so every blast drives the Deck's haptics instead of a generic buzz.
- A quality governor that holds a steady framerate through the big chain-reaction explosions.
- UI and targeting sized to read cleanly
It fits the handheld really well. Short sessions, pick up and play, the kind of thing you clear a couple of levels of on the couch.
Two things I'd genuinely like from you:
- Devs who've been through Verified, anything that caught you out in review?
- Players, what actually makes or breaks a game on Deck for you? Want to make sure I've covered the things that matter.
If it looks like your kind of thing, a wishlist genuinely helps at launch: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4890070/Deadly_Dispatch/
2
u/PlumOdd1203 Jul 16 '26
This looks very cool. It's reminding me of a game called atom zombie smasher. Any chance that's an inspiration?
1
u/DeadlyDispatch Jul 16 '26
I’ve never played it, but it looks really fun. I’ve always loved playing those ragdoll physics demos or any destruction physics demos really. I remember seeing the Havok logo in games and thinking I was about to have a great time lol. The idea came to me over 13 years ago, and I tried making it a few times but could never get it right. I’m super happy with how it turned out.
1
Jul 14 '26
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0
u/DeadlyDispatch Jul 15 '26
Once the build is approved there is a section to ask for deck verification, I’ll let you know if that is still the case.
1
Jul 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/DeadlyDispatch Jul 16 '26
You were right, the game got approved yesterday and the Steam Verification page still doesn't show any builds to submit. Maybe once its live?
0
u/DeadlyDispatch Jul 15 '26
I’m hoping for the review to be done today or tomorrow, will see if I’m able to submit it afterwords. I’ll let you know!
-1
u/valdin450 Jul 14 '26
Might've been interested but you had to use the slop machine so that's going straight to the ignore list 👎
3
u/DeadlyDispatch Jul 14 '26
Cos I used Claude to help me write code? I’ve been working professionally as a software engineer for 20 years, that’s how it’s done today. If you’re playing anything by any major studio, rest assured that AI is being used in the pipeline somewhere.
2
u/Infernaloneshot Jul 15 '26
Just chiming in as another software engineer of a lesser amount of time (10 years) and this is pretty much my experience too
-2
u/valdin450 Jul 14 '26
"Certain assets, music, and sound effects were created using generative AI."
I don't give a fuck if you asked chatgpt what to make for dinner. You used the planet burning plagiarism machine and now you will never get a penny from me.
2
u/Balizzm Jul 14 '26
Wishlisted. This looks unique, and thank you for the controller/Steamdeck support!