---
title: "Ship a game for Steam and the Steam Deck"
url: https://recursiveai.org/onegame/cookbook/steam-and-steam-deck/
description: "Export a C# game for Steam on Linux and Windows with the Steamworks library beside it, and build a Linux program that starts on the Steam Deck’s runtime."
version: "1.2.0"
---

# Ship a game for Steam and the Steam Deck

Export a C# game for Steam on Linux and Windows with the Steamworks library beside it, and build a Linux program that starts on the Steam Deck’s runtime.

## Export with Steam

`--steam` copies Valve’s Steamworks library next to the program. The library is never downloaded and isn’t in the engine’s repository: you supply it from your copy of the Steamworks SDK. Without it the export stops before building:

```shell
onegame export --target linux --steam
```

```text
error: --steam needs libsteam_api.so from your Steamworks SDK. Pass --steam-redist <folder>, or set ONEGAME_STEAM_REDIST (folder with linux-x64/libsteam_api.so) or ONEGAME_STEAM_SDK (the SDK folder).
```

The command exits 4 (with `--json`, the code is `steam_redist_missing`). Point it at the SDK:

```shell
ONEGAME_STEAM_SDK=~/steamworks/sdk onegame export --target linux --steam --json
ONEGAME_STEAM_SDK=~/steamworks/sdk onegame export --target win --steam --json
```

`ONEGAME_STEAM_SDK` is the unpacked Steamworks SDK (it reads `redistributable_bin/linux64` and `redistributable_bin/win64`). `--steam-redist <dir>` or `ONEGAME_STEAM_REDIST` instead names a folder holding `linux-x64/libsteam_api.so` and `win-x64/steam_api64.dll`. The Linux folder gets `libsteam_api.so`, the Windows one `steam_api64.dll`. These two commands weren’t run for this page, because the Steamworks SDK is Valve’s and needs your own account; the error above was.

- The game itself must use `OneGame.Steam` for the library to be loaded. That package has the Steamworks bindings, Steam Input, and achievements, stats, cloud saves and presence behind store-neutral services.
- `steam_appid.txt` is never shipped: the export deletes it from the output. With it present Steam’s relaunch check always passes, so the game would run outside the Steam client. To try an exported build by hand, put `steam_appid.txt` in the current directory with the Steam client signed in.
- In the depot, set the Linux launch option to `run.sh` and the Windows one to `<game>.exe`. Uploading depots isn’t part of the export.
- `--steam` isn’t available for macOS.

## The Steam Deck and the Steam Linux runtime

Steam runs Linux games in its Steam Linux Runtime 3 (“sniper”), which has glibc 2.31. A program linked on a newer system won’t start there: `version 'GLIBC_2.38' not found`. The export reads the program and warns when it needs more:

```text
  warning glibc_too_new: Orchard needs glibc 2.38, newer than 2.31 in Steam's Linux runtime (and so on the Steam Deck). Build on an older system, or inside the Steam Linux Runtime SDK: see docs/exporting.md.
```

That warning is from a build on a current Linux system. For a build that runs on the Deck, export on a system with glibc 2.31 or older, or inside Valve’s Steam Linux Runtime SDK image.

The engine repository has a script for the second way, `tools/steamrt.sh`, which runs the export and a headless check inside Valve’s public runtime images with bubblewrap (no Steam account needed). It is a repository tool, not part of the NuGet packages, and it mounts an engine checkout as `/engine`, so it needs a checkout at 1.2.0 and a game built against it. Its `run` step is the check: the exported folder read-only in the same image, and a passing run prints the same state hash as `onegame run --headless --frames 60 --json` on the development machine. It doesn’t replace a run on the device for the controller, display and graphics driver.

## Good to know

- On the Deck, a game is played with the gamepad: give every screen a starting focus and make every action reachable with the d-pad and confirm. See [Controller and keyboard navigation](https://recursiveai.org/onegame/cookbook/controller-navigation/).
- `onegame capture --size deck` draws a frame at the Deck’s 1280×800.
- The repository’s `tools/devices/deck.sh` runs a build on a Deck over ssh and checks it; see [Checking on devices](https://recursiveai.org/onegame/docs/devices/).
- Exports for Windows made on Linux aren’t NativeAOT: see [Export for Linux, Windows and macOS](https://recursiveai.org/onegame/cookbook/export-desktop/).

Every Steam detail is in [Exporting](https://recursiveai.org/onegame/docs/exporting/).