Nex Machina

This is exactly what I want to play on Steam Deck. A polished modern arcade game with nonstop action, great music and high production standards. So fun to play and I’m always ready to jump in for another round.
Made before Steam Deck existed, so use the following suggestions from Protondb.com:
Tinker Steps: Custom Proton: Proton 7.0-6,
Set launch options:
PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 PROTON_NO_FSYNC=1 PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC=60 %command%

The advertising is 100% accurate: if you like Robotron and Smash TV, don't even question it, GET THIS GAME. It's a direct successor to those games in design and playstyle and just as hard. the gameplay has a very fast and aggressive style that will have you dashing around, blasting robots and saving humans before the harvester bots can get to them. With tons of secrets and scoring opportunities, you'll be kept entertained for a long time.
For twinstick freaks and shooting maniacs, this is the real deal!

Tightly designed, brutally challenging, neon-infused time attack arcade cocaine.
The only problem is that it forces you to be good. The game is merciless with failures, and getting a continue usually means being sent tumbling down a slope with no chance of recovery, unless you already know how to play the game very well.
Practice on the easiest difficulty. Climb the ladder. Get completely addicted as you have epileptic seizures.
Realize that every game should be an adrenaline bomb that can be consumed in just 30 minutes or less.
Repeat until you die.

the game is a decent arcade game... there really isnt a lot here. but its flashy and fast. perfect to pick up and start blasting on the steam deck very quickly like an arcade game should be, really. the draw back is the price tag.. get this on a deep deep sale.

Absolutely glorious!
Amazing arcade shooter, pure fun and highly replayable, with an amazing OST.

Oh man, this is Housemarque classic, I started this, after I got to play Returnal (another Housemarque G.O.A.T). Super fast-paced and addictive. Now I gotta wait for SAROS

It's a pretty solid game that I don't like playing at all. There's something about having to chase down the idiot humans every 2 seconds that I can't stand. I seriously hate it. It drives me crazy. The game is super polished. It's very fluid. In all respects it should be something I love, but I just don't. I don't even like it. I would pay some amount of money to not play it, if I were forced to for some reason. I strongly prefer something like Kill Knight. That game is tighter with more interesting weapon dynamics and there are no dumb, dumb, dumb as all hell humans to run around and collect like trophies for half of the gameplay loop.