Aperture Desk Job
Aperture Desk Job reimagines the been-there-done-that genre of walking simulators and puts them in the lightning-spanked, endorphin-gorged world of sitting still behind things. You play as an entry-level nobody on their first day at work — your heart full of hope and your legs full of dreams, eager to climb that corporate ladder. But life’s got other plans, and they all involve chairs. Designed as a free playable short for Valve’s new Steam Deck, Desk Job walks you through the handheld’s controls and features, while not being nearly as boring as that sounds. Lower your expectations: This is not a sequel to Portal. Now get ready to raise them slightly, because it is in the expanded universe of those games. Desk Job puts you squarely in the driver’s seat at Aperture Science. Then quickly removes the driving part and adds a desk in front of the seat.
What it feels like
The entire premise is built on mischievous, teasing subversion of corporate life and player expectations about walking simulators. Deliberately punctures the genre's seriousness by reducing a grand walking simulator to sitting at a desk, gleefully defying expectations. Quirky, fanciful charm in the premise of corporate office absurdism and the subversion of typical game progression.
What it's about
Set explicitly in the Aperture Science universe from Portal, with sci-fi corporate laboratory as the foundational setting. Set in a recognizable corporate office environment despite sci-fi framing, grounded in everyday work-life experience. Corporate ladder climbing and office satire engage with workplace economics and labor as subject matter.
How it plays
As a narrative-driven office experience, branching dialogue and interaction with environment are likely core. Desk-based interaction with objects and controls suggests click-to-interact interface conventions.
How it looks and sounds
Consistent with Portal universe convention and typical first-person perspective for seated office interaction.
How it's structured
Described as a 'free playable short' designed for quick, self-contained sessions on Steam Deck. Explicitly single-player experience with no multiplayer component. Designed specifically for Steam Deck quick play sessions, encouraging short bursts of gameplay.
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