Shadowgrounds

2005 Frozenbyte Action

Windows 11Runs

MacNot confirmed

LinuxGold

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic 744

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 781

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today3.5/5

Design today3/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

81%

1,558 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Shadowgrounds run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not confirmed

A Mac version is sold. Not yet confirmed on Apple Silicon.1

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

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One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

Shadowgrounds is a top-down sci-fi shooter from Frozenbyte set on a Jupiter moon colony overrun by aliens. Players guide mechanic Wesley Tyler through dark bases and caves with a flashlight, gathering parts to upgrade ten weapons, completing mission objectives and, optionally, playing shared-screen co-op with friends on gamepads.

Developer: Frozenbyte
Released: 2005
Genre: Action
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

The PC version holds a Metascore of 74. A 2012 GamingOnLinux review liked the lighting, atmosphere and fast combat with upgradeable weapons, but found areas looking alike, enemy variety thin and the lack of saves within a level frustrating, and a 2015 retrospective called the drawn-out final stretch the weakest part. On Steam it is Very Positive, with 81 percent of about 1,560 reviews recommending it, as players call it a fun, easygoing shooter in the vein of Alien Breed with a campy story and weak voice acting. Others now find it dated and tiring in long sessions.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The game is single player with local co-op, and no modes or content have been removed (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen needs a config edit and leaves the interface stretched (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Controllers are recognized only as generic DirectInput devices, with limited remapping and no full controller support (PCGamingWiki).
Not 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
The only unresolved issue PCGamingWiki lists is missing water textures, fixed by turning off anti-aliasing (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
WASD moves the character relative to where it faces while the mouse turns and aims, a simple scheme that players call effective once the first-person-style movement feels natural, and keys can be remapped. Gamepads get only limited remapping. Source: waltoriouswritesaboutgames.com, steamcommunity.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Widescreen resolutions stretch the HUD, and wider custom resolutions need an edit to options.txt, so one retrospective switched back to a 4:3 picture. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, waltoriouswritesaboutgames.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Progress is saved only between levels. Inside a mission there are a limited number of respawns, and running out restarts a mission that can take 30 minutes to an hour. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, waltoriouswritesaboutgames.com, gamingonlinux.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The controls are simple, and players describe the learning curve as minimal, though no source describes a formal tutorial. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Levels are large and much of their second half is spent hunting for the exit while lives run out, and the final stretch repeats unimaginative environments for too long. Source: gamingonlinux.com, waltoriouswritesaboutgames.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The fixed top-down camera avoids the awkward angles of many third-person games, though it deliberately limits how far ahead the player can see. Source: gamingonlinux.com, waltoriouswritesaboutgames.com.