For the community-reported Windows route on Steam Deck, keep the EXE and complete Data folder together, add the EXE as a non-Steam game, set Start In to that folder and select the reported Proton Experimental compatibility tool. Check these paths first if it does not launch. Browser and Linux alternatives, plus the original Gamepad menu, are covered below; this site has not tested a physical Deck.
On this page
| Route | What the evidence supports | What you still need to check |
|---|---|---|
| Original browser entry | A separate original-game access route; no Proton shortcut is involved. | Your Deck browser, graphics support, input and save behaviour. |
| Windows package through Proton | A player reports EXE + Data, Start In, Proton Experimental and a Vulkan option. | Your package version, directory, compatibility tool and actual launch result. |
| Community-reported native Linux package | Comments point to the creator’s Discord download area. | Current availability, package identity and installation instructions; this site has not tested it. |
Choose the browser, Windows package or reported Linux route
Start at the original game entry and confirm which project you are opening. Azeroth Survivors, a fan guide and another Warcraft-themed survivors project can have similar names but different clients. Keep the game version with your notes: our original-menu observation was v0.135.1, build 90898d5e3. It does not establish that an older community installation report used the same package.
The browser avoids a Proton shortcut, but browser availability alone does not prove that the Deck’s browser, graphics support and controller setup will work together. A community report describes the Windows route below. Comments also point to a native Linux build in the creator’s Discord download area; we have not independently downloaded or installed that build. Treat it as a lead to verify at the creator’s current entry, rather than a verified replacement link.
Keep the Windows EXE and complete Data folder together
The community walkthrough uses the Windows executable with its complete Data folder, then adds the executable to Steam as a non-Steam game. Do not move only the EXE into a convenient shortcut folder and leave the accompanying data behind. Before changing compatibility options, check that the extracted package still has its original directory structure and that Steam targets the executable you intended to use.
Use the download page for source selection and package identification. This page does not supply a mirror, a modified executable or a separate Data archive. If an update gives you another directory, check the Steam shortcut again: a familiar game name in the library does not prove that its target has moved to the new package. Keep the previous folder until you have checked your saved progress and the replacement route.
Check Start In before repeating the Proton setup
In the non-Steam shortcut’s properties, compare the target with Start In. The community instructions set Start In to the folder containing the executable. The target selects the program; Start In identifies the working directory for that launch. Check the actual folder name rather than copying another player’s personal path. Spaces, an old extraction folder or a renamed directory are useful things to record when asking for help.
The reported compatibility selection is Proton Experimental. That is a player-reported combination, not a promise that every later game or Proton update will behave identically. Record the selected compatibility tool and try the route with those details intact before combining several unrelated fixes. If you later switch to a native Linux package, review the shortcut for that package instead of assuming the Windows target and compatibility settings still apply.
Use the reported Vulkan option conditionally; logging is optional
The Windows-on-Proton report includes the launch option WGPU_BACKEND=vulkan %command%. It is a reported backend choice for that route, not a required setting for the browser or an independently checked Linux build. If you try it, preserve %command% and note whether the program opens, stays black or closes. Changing the backend, package and compatibility tool together makes the result much harder for another person to reproduce.
PROTON_LOG=1 is not a necessary launch step. A commenter questioned its inclusion, and the original reporter agreed to remove it. Enable diagnostic logging only when you need a log for a specific failure, and remove the option afterwards if you no longer need it. Before sharing a log, review it for personal folder names and other information you do not want to publish. “Does not launch” also appears in the separate video thread, so the successful report should not be read as universal compatibility.
Use the observed Gamepad menu as a control checklist
In the original v0.135.1 Options → Gamepad menu, we observed Invert Camera X, Invert Camera Y, Camera Speed, Zoom Speed and Stick Dead Zone. The captured sample showed 100%, 100% and 25% for the three sliders. Those are the displayed values in that observation, not verified defaults or recommended Deck settings.
The menu help assigns movement to the left stick, view turning to the right stick, jumping to A, zoom to bumpers and triggers, and stored level-ups to Y. It also says changes apply immediately. These are original-menu labels and instructions; no physical Deck or controller was used for our check. Compare each action with your own input before relying on the mapping during a run. In particular, distinguish a camera sensitivity problem from a button that is not reaching the game at all.
Check menu navigation as well as movement
A useful controller check covers more than whether the character can walk. Confirm that you can open and close menus, select a level-up, return from a submenu and access saved progress without getting stuck. If Steam Input or a custom layout is involved, note that layout alongside the game’s own settings. We do not provide a tested Steam Input preset or claim that a desktop mouse binding automatically becomes a controller action.
For camera discomfort, change one control at a time and keep a way to restore the previous value. Turning speed, zoom speed, inversion and stick dead zone address different inputs. A higher value is not automatically more comfortable. The separate camera guide covers the observed view and zoom controls; this page does not promise a wider field of view, a particular maximum distance or a cure for motion sickness.
Keep saves and a useful failure report before switching routes
Treat a browser session, a Windows package under Proton and a native Linux package as separate environments until you have verified how your own save is stored and transferred. Do not assume that Steam library membership synchronizes these saves. Use the save guide before replacing a folder, changing a route or deleting an older installation. Keep your original export or backup untouched while checking a copy.
If you need help, report the route, game version, selected Proton tool where relevant, target folder and the exact symptom. Say whether the failure occurs before a window opens, during loading or only after using a control. Include the last single change you made and whether reverting it changed the result. This is more actionable than a hardware name alone, and it avoids turning another player’s successful configuration into an unsupported guarantee.