Dad with a Deck

https://dadwithadeck.com Just a Dad with a Steam Deck

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My Steam Controller arrived after months of waiting. I've written down my first impressions from a Steam Deck OLED owner perspective. I'll cover the hardware, how it feels and how I'm actually planning to use this thing.

Check out my thoughts here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/07/23/steam-controller-vs-steam-deck-a-dads-first-impressions/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Another Steam sale, another bloodbath for my wallet. I walked away with more games I didn't need. Indiana Jones, Far Cry, Resident Evil and what is simply an absurd pile of point and click adventure games. Why? Exactly.

Check out what I picked up here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/07/15/steam-summer-sale-2026-more-games-i-didnt-need/

[dad-with-a-deck]

I finally tackled The Longest Journey after hearing for decades that it was one of the best point and click adventures ever made. I came away with a different opinion.

Ambitious? Absolutely. A masterpiece? I'm not convinced.

Check out my thoughts here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/07/09/the-longest-journey-some-classics-are-better-as-memories/

[dad-with-a-deck]

007 First Light is the James Bond game I've been waiting years to play. IO Interactive nail the tone, gameplay and cinematic presentation. They manage to deliver one of the year's best action games.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/07/04/007-first-light-review-the-best-bond-game-yet/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Chinatown Wars deserved more attention than it got. Nearly twenty years later, Rockstar’s handheld experiment still feels fresh. It’s full of clever ideas and feels even better on modern dual-screen hardware like the Ayn Thor.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/26/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-ayn-thor-review/

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Dishonored sat in my backlog for years before completely blowing me away. I ended up rating it a 9.5/10, so I figured the best way to pay that recommendation forward was with a giveaway.

Check out who won here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/18/dishonored-subscriber-giveaway/

[dad-with-a-deck]

The Tragedy at Deer Creek won me over pretty quickly. Rewarding puzzles, compelling mystery and an isolated Alaskan setting create an atmospheric adventure that feels inspired by the classics without relying on nostalgia.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/16/the-tragedy-at-deer-creek-a-modern-retro-adventure-review/

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When I started Dad with a Deck, I fully expected to crash and burn early on. But somehow, I'm still going and post 100 is now live! It's a bit of a retrospective with some highlights, a few blunders and maybe even a giveaway at the end.

Check out my look back here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/10/post-one-hundred-still-here-still-playing/

[dad-with-a-deck]

My Ayn Thor Pro finally arrived after a two month wait. It was worth every second. Dual OLED screens, premium hardware and incredible performance make for one seriously impressive handheld.

Check out my first impressions here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/03/ayn-thor-pro-first-impressions/

[dad-with-a-deck]

I spent May revisiting the Nintendo Wii and came away with one conclusion: it was FAR better than its reputation suggested. Overlooked classics, underrated motion controls and one absolute masterpiece.

Check out the wrap-up here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/06/01/wii-went-back-the-wii-month-wrap-up/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Wii Sports accidentally changed gaming forever. It pulled non-gamers into the hobby, survived the Wii tax and proved that accessibility isn't a weakness. Nearly twenty years on, it's still just as fun.

Check out the retrospective here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/31/wii-sports-retrospective-wiire-going-back/

[dad-with-a-deck]

I didn't play Super Mario Galaxy on release and it honestly plays like it was released yesterday. Level design, mechanics and the soundtrack combine into a defining statement on video games as a whole.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/27/super-mario-galaxy-wiire-going-back-review/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Ghost Squad remains faithful to the arcade and really nails the feel of the original genre, making unreal use of the Wiimote. It's a blast while it lasts, just don't expect it to last very long.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/24/ghost-squad-wiire-going-back-review/

[dad-with-a-deck]

During Wii're Going Back, I pitted Valve's forgotten Steam Link hardware against the Steam Link App. Does it still hold up in 2026? The results are surprisingly inconsistent and occasionally impressive.

Check out the post here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/22/is-the-steam-link-hardware-still-viable-in-2026/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is the series' survival horror atmosphere forcibly shoved into an arcade on-rails shooter. I went in blind with a Wiimote shoved in a revolver attachment and somehow it works.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/19/resident-evil-the-umbrella-chronicles-wiire-going-back-review/

[dad-with-a-deck]

The most violent game on the Wii delivers its gratuitous brand of carnage in black and white with Greg Proops and John DiMaggio screaming filthy nonsense over the top of it all. MadWorld is truly unlike anything else on the console.

Check out the review here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/17/madworld-unhinged-and-unapologetic-wiire-going-back-review/

[dad-with-a-deck]

Call of Duty on the Nintendo Wii sounds ridiculous until you actually try it. Revisiting the Wii releases only revealed solid ports, enjoyable motion controls and a side of the franchise that deserved more attention.

Check out my retrospective here 👇

https://dadwithadeck.com/2026/05/13/call-of-duty-wii-surprisingly-sharp-wiire-going-back/