The Best Boomer Shooters to Play on Steam Deck and PC
Back in August last year, I wrote about the best boomer shooters on Steam Deck and PC. Since then, we’ve had new games, DLC, updates, and I’ve also gotten around to some I missed playing back then. This has been in the works for a while now, and I actually delayed it for Selaco (worth it) and Fallen Aces (this does not work on Deck yet, but will in the future). As with the last list, I’m not bothering with a fixed number and will be just including the games I want you to play in the genre on Steam Deck and PC. I also want to make it clear that this list should be treated as an addition to my original article from last year. Every game featured there is still worth playing, and I’ve not included those games here aside from DLC or expansions. This list is in no particular order, and I’ve also included some bonuses that I cover at the end.
DUSK HD
Do I need another excuse to recommend DUSK? Well, DUSK was already incredible, but New Blood doing DUSK HD as a free DLC pack that is basically a full remaster of the original game, is incredible and they definitely hate money. Either way, if you have DUSK, claim DUSK HD and change compatibility on Steam Deck to Proton Experimental or something else because the native linux version doesn’t include DUSK HD. You need DUSK HD’s windows version on Steam Deck for it. Once you do that, you can experience one of the best shooters ever with even better visuals. Get on it. Also listen to DUSK’s soundtrack from Andrew Hulshult again.
Selaco
Selaco had a very promising demo last year, and I expected the early access release to be good. I didn’t think it would be this good though. Selaco runs on GZDoom but barely feels like a game built on that engine with its immersive experience full of superb gameplay and great visuals. Even in its early access state right now, Selaco is worth more than full price, and it has bespoke Steam Deck optimizations from the get-go.
Bonus Games
The games below are either not pure boomer shooters or have some caveats with my recommendation. In the case of the latter, I’d wait on a discount before buying them.
PO’ed: Definitive Edition
I hadn’t heard of PO’ed until Nightdive announced the remaster in the form of PO’ed: Definitive Edition. Having played it, I don’t know if it is something I recommend at full price, but the work put in is really good. I recommend getting it on a discount because it is pretty funny, but definitely not one of my favorites on the list.
Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered
Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is the final game in the Turok trilogy, and the remaster from Nightdive is amazing. The issues here are I don’t think it is as good as the first two games, and it is more expensive than those. If you can get it on a discount, I recommend it once you play the first two games. Even as someone who only played Turok thanks to the Nightdive releases, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered is excellent and worth your time.
Fallen Aces
Fallen Aces is fantastic, but it is unplayable on Steam Deck right now. I know there are some workarounds posted online, but none have reliably worked for me on both my Steam Decks. I want to feature Fallen Aces here so you keep an eye on it for when it does get fixed on Steam Deck. The demo was superlative already, but the full Episode 1 Early Access release is mind-blowing on PC. I can’t believe it is so cheap right now. New Blood really does hate money. Either way, I hope it gets fixed soon so I can play it on my Steam Deck. Until then, I recommend buying it to play on your PC.
With that, you have the second yearly (hopefully) best boomer shooters to play on Steam Deck feature. I can’t wait to see what releases in the next few months and with the early access games getting more content and updates leading into 2025. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.