- Windows 11✓
- Steam Deck✓ Verified
- Mac✕ no Mac version
- Linux✓ native
- 17,843 reviews93% positive
- Steam store page
- Released
- 2016
- Developer
- Heart Machine
- Genre
- Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG
- Time to beat
- About 8 hours for the main story HowLongToBeat
- Runs on
- Windows, Linux, Steam Deck
- Last checked
- October 31, 2026
Does Hyper Light Drifter run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?
| Windows 11 | ✓Sold for Windows today, no problem on record. Source |
|---|---|
| Mac (Apple Silicon) | ✕The Mac version no longer starts on current macOS. Source |
| Linux | ✓Native Linux version. Source |
| Steam Deck | ✓Verified by Valve. Source |
Played it lately? Press Works for me or Doesn’t work on your platform, so the next player knows. One click, no account. How we check where it runs
Synopsis
A top-down action adventure in a ruined, neon-colored world, where a sick wanderer called the Drifter explores four regions in search of a cure. You slash, dash and shoot through tough fights, uncover hidden paths and secrets, and piece together a story told entirely without words.
What people say
Critics in 2016 praised its striking pixel art, Disasterpeace's soundtrack and fast, precise combat that rewards learning, along with a mysterious world full of secrets, while noting it can be as frustrating as it is rewarding. Some reviewers felt its wordless storytelling left the ending flat. Players today still admire the style and the challenge but often report feeling lost, describe the map as hard to use, find the story too vague and the early game confusing, and some mention input issues with mouse and keyboard.
Playability today
The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works
Runs today
5 / 5- ✓Sold or given away today by an official source
- ✓Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
✓Single-player works without an internet connection
GOG sells a DRM-free version that plays offline (GOG).
✓All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
PCGamingWiki records no shut-down servers or lost content (PCGamingWiki).
✓Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Native widescreen and modern resolutions (PCGamingWiki).
✓Full controller support or remappable controls
Controller support (PCGamingWiki).
- ✓Steam Deck Verified or Playable
- ✓No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
- ✓No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
✓No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved issues (PCGamingWiki).
From the Steam store, Valve’s Steam Deck rating and the sources under each check. Checks not confirmed yet don’t count.
Design today
3.5 / 5✓Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Combat is precise and plays well on a controller, which players recommend. Some find mouse dashing and chain dashes inconsistent. Source: opencritic.com, vaporlens.app.
✗Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The map is widely criticized as confusing and hard to use, and the wordless interface leaves much unexplained. Source: vaporlens.app.
✓Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Deaths return the player to a nearby checkpoint and progress is saved automatically, so little is lost. The common complaint is the lack of cloud saves, not the save design. Source: vaporlens.app.
✗Hard to make progress without a guide
The game has no spoken or written direction, so players often feel lost early on and many turn to outside guides for routes and secrets. Source: vaporlens.app.
✓Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Fast action and a short campaign leave little room for grinding or filler. Source: vaporlens.app, opencritic.com.
✓Camera and movement never fight the player
The fixed top-down view shows the action clearly and movement is fast and precise. Source: opencritic.com, vaporlens.app.
Judged against games made today, from complaints that recur among players. Each reason links to its source.
Sources
- Steam store page (requirements, platforms)
- SteamSpy (Steam review counts)
- Steam Deck compatibility, Valve
- ProtonDB reports
- Metacritic
- OpenCritic
- PCGamingWiki: Hyper Light Drifter
- Vaporlens: Hyper Light Drifter review summary
How does it play for you today?