Best of Steam — November 2025

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    Article
    Avatar of collectionsCollections·29w

    Rising Viability of Linux Gaming as Nearly 90% of Windows Games Now Compatible

    Linux gaming on Steam has crossed 3% market share for the first time, reaching 3.05% in October 2025—a 50% increase from the previous year. This growth is driven by improved compatibility layers like Proton (enabling 90% of Windows games to run on Linux), the popularity of Steam Deck (accounting for 27% of Linux gaming), and Windows 10's end of support pushing users toward alternatives. Popular distributions include Arch Linux, Linux Mint, CachyOS, and Bazzite, with new hardware like Lenovo's Legion Go S further expanding the ecosystem.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·27w

    Why I Don't Need a Steam Machine

    A humorous personal reflection on Valve's newly announced Steam Machine console. The author lists 22 reasons why they don't need the device—from being a retro gamer who doesn't need the power, to already having too many gaming devices, to preferring physical games over digital—only to conclude they're buying one anyway despite all the rational arguments against it.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·29w

    How Coding Sim The Farmer Was Replaced Reached 39,000% Revenue Rise

    The Farmer Was Replaced, a programming farming simulator using a Python-like language, achieved a 39,000% revenue increase from early access to full release, selling over 400,000 copies and generating $1.65 million in the first 30 days. The success came from rebuilding the Steam page to emphasize programming aspects, adding 11 languages with full localization, improving game polish, and executing targeted marketing including influencer outreach to 10,000 creators, viral Reddit posts, and expansion into Chinese social media platforms like RedNote, which grew China's market share from 0.3% to 20%.

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    Video
    Avatar of fireshipFireship·27w

    This new gaming console uses Arch btw…

    Valve's new Steam Machine is a gaming console running Arch Linux with Steam OS and KDE Plasma desktop environment. It features a semi-custom AMD chip at 4.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, 8GB VRAM, and can run 4K games at 60fps. The device supports Windows games through Proton compatibility layer and allows switching between gaming mode and full Linux desktop. Hardware is non-upgradeable, pricing expected under $1,000, with availability targeted for 2026.

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    Video
    Avatar of jonastyrollerJonas Tyroller·28w

    This Young Solo Dev Built a Steam Hit in 4 Months

    Solo developer Zoro Arts shares how he built Pedal Pedal Pedal, a viral co-op game that sold 120,000+ units, in just 4 months while studying at university. Working only 3 hours daily, he created a demo in 2 weeks that gained massive social media traction. The conversation covers his journey from his first commercial game Maky's Adventure, learning Unity networking with Photon, dealing with feature creep, working with publisher Assemble Entertainment, and his philosophy of making fun games quickly rather than spending years on single projects. He emphasizes gameplay over graphics, rapid prototyping, and using social media feedback to validate ideas early.

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    Article
    Avatar of gamesindustryGamesIndustry.biz·27w

    The Steam Machine could be an industry turning point | Opinion

    Valve's upcoming Steam Machine represents a strategic challenge to both Microsoft and Sony in the console market, leveraging a decade of development on Steam Deck and SteamOS. The device combines competitive pricing with access to extensive Steam libraries and a Linux-based OS that outperforms Windows in gaming benchmarks through lower overhead and the Proton emulation layer. This timing particularly impacts Microsoft's pivot toward Xbox-Windows integration, as Valve's approach offers similar PC-console hybrid functionality at mass-market prices. The Steam Deck served as a crucial testbed, proving that optimized software can deliver strong gaming performance on modest hardware specs.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Schedule I Could've Been a Farming Sim If Steam Refused to Platform It

    Schedule I, 2025's second-most played indie game, nearly became a farming simulator. Developer Tyler had a backup plan to strip all drug-related content and pivot to farming if Steam rejected the game. The platform approved it, though Australia temporarily blocked it due to missing age ratings. Despite commercial success, the game received no nominations at The Game Awards 2025.

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