IMPORTANT NOTE: The steps outlined below are not longer relevant, as Steam Decks and controllers are supported now, but this post will not be deleted, just in case somebody finds it useful.
Rusty Flesh is made with GB Studio, an engine specifically tailored to create Game Boy games that doesn't support PC builds natively, let alone Steam Deck compatibility. The good news is that you can just download a custom layout, and it feels great! And of course, you can always create your own. It's easier than it sounds.
As Rusty Flesh is made for the Game Boy Color, its native controles are just a D-pad, A, B, Start and Select. For the PC version, they are mapped as follows:
- D-pad (Game Boy): arrow keys (PC)
- A (Game Boy): Z (PC)
- B (Game Boy): X (PC)
- Start (Game Boy): Enter (PC)
- Select (Game Boy): Shift (PC)
When it comes to Steam Deck, this is how you can play the game (and the demo):
- On your Deck, click the little controller icon on the right side of the screen.
- On the top of the screen, click on your current layout.
- Go to the Community Layouts tab, and choose any of the "Retro Game Boy templates" you'll see. They're all the same, I just messed it up when uploading it. (Note: If you can't see any templates, press X on your Deck and you should see all the community templates.)
- You will see this screen. As you can see, only the D-pad and A, B, X, Y are available (similar to a Game Boy's D-pad and A, B, Start and Select buttons). This is to keep that retro feeling, even in modern hardware. Download and apply this template, and you can start playing!
But what if you don't like my retro template? If that's the case, creating your own couldn't be easier.
- First, go to the Templates tab, and scroll down until you find "Keyboard (WASD) and Mouse".
- Click on it, and on the screen you'll see, click on the Steam Deck controls you want to use and select a keyboard's arrow keys, Z, X, Enter and Shift to map them accordingly. Save and apply, and you're all set! (Note: You can optionally disable the controls you're not using.)
Comment if you have any questions, and enjoy!