https://isthereanydeal.com/ is great for getting any given game at a good price. You can see where it is currently/usually cheapest, its price over time, etc. You can also set up notifications for when it drops below a certain threshold.
Still playing Slay The Spire and Hexcells as my “podcast games”.
Started Halls of Torment. Really cool aesthetically and some interesting boss designs. Hope it distinguishes itself more from Vampire Survivors though. Especially in having more incentives to keep playing than “numbers go up”. There are some minor story things and unique aspects of some maps that I think could really set this game apart.
Also playing Super Mario Sunshine. Honestly probably my least favorite 3D Mario to date. Besides feeling very clumsy it has some pretty sloppy level design here and there. Still a decent game, but having played Odyssey this game feels very dated.
What I’m saying is that unlike other PCs the steam deck has very few varying factors (out of the box). Meaning, if it works for others, it is likely it could work for you.
I’m not saying anything or anyone is infallible. In fact, I just had a look at proton DB and there are certainly plenty other people with similar problems.
These are good news because Larian has a reputation for supporting and improving their games long after release. These kinks will get ironed out.
And again, if you don’t wish to be an early adopter (which is completely fine), refund it.
A couple suggestions:
I’m no audio wiz but audio quality leaves something to be desired. Particularly, there are a lot of sharp “s” and some smacking sounds that I think some better equipment could improve. Might be as simple as getting a pop filter?
Is there a public RSS feed anywhere? I don’t use Spotify for podcasts.
I’ve heard that for smaller studios it is incredibly important to get those early sales. Their margins are often very small (if they exist at all) so getting early and continued support is often vital.