Below, Rusted Gods Day-One Checklist

Below, Rusted Gods launched on Steam July 29, 2026 and is OUT NOW. FromSouthGames (Ari Galiano and Alexis Salomon) self-published after roughly two years as a two-person team. Launch celebrated 60,000+ wishlists, eight achievements, four endings, and a 10% discount until August 5 ($7.19 USD sale price). This page is your first-session SOP for new buyers: install, choose Deck or PC, filter spoilers, and run repeatable Operator loops without soft-locking in hour one.

T-minus night before

• Sleep. Launch fatigue causes missed voice lines—the real soft-lock engine.
• Mute non-official alert channels; keep Steam wishlist notifications only.
• Decide platform: desktop (System Requirements) or Steam Deck (Steam Deck Verified).
• Charge headphones; set them as default output device.
• Bookmark this page, the Operator Checklist, and Out Now Launch.
• Accept that Endings stays closed until you finish—or choose spoilers knowingly.

Early-access Operator session

Launch morning: client and store

1. Update Steam before the unlock window crowds CDN.
2. Open the store page for app 2895680; confirm your region shows July 29, 2026.
3. If you wishlisted, verify purchase on the account that wishlisted—see Release & Demo.
4. Install to SSD when possible; twelve gigabytes is modest but hitches hurt radio readability.
5. Skim the latest Steam news post—do not trust rumor threads over Steam News or Patch Notes.

Deck versus PC launch branch

PC path: confirm GPU drivers, test keyboard or pad on Controls, optional second monitor for checklists.

Deck path: confirm Verified badge in Steam, default Deck controls, legible UI at default scale, no KB/M required. Run a five-minute demo loop on Deck if this is your first handheld session—details on Steam Deck Verified.

Both paths share the same audio rule: Headphones & Audio is mandatory.

First boot sequence (retail — new buyers)

• Confirm purchase on app 2895680 — Price & Discount if buying during sale
• Headphones on; dialogue slider biased upward
• Full Controls test: move, look, interact, pause
• Read nothing on Endings yet
• Run one calm desk cycle from Getting Started: status → radar → radio
• Insert/play any starter cassette fully (Cassettes & Lore)
• When audio authorizes, stand and walk—Facility Exploration
• Return to desk; log anomalies on the Operator Checklist

The embedded early-access Operator session mid-article shows pacing—watch a segment for rhythm, not spoilers, if you need confidence before clicking New Game.

Spoiler filters for launch week

Launch-week creators will dump endings within hours. Protect your first run:

• Avoid YouTube autofill with “all endings” queries.
• Mute social tags for the game until you finish a shift.
• Use wiki pages marked spoiler-light: Full Game Walkthrough with discipline, How to Progress When Stuck, Decisions & Branching without opening Endings.
• Share clips with friends only after warning them about audio-dependent progression.

Checklist loops for hour one

Repeat this loop whenever tension spikes:

Desk loop: listen to full radio beat → status → radar → finish frequency prompts → note anomalies.

Media loop: collect tapes in reach → play fully → skim transcript if needed.

Facility loop: stand when cued → inspect highlighted spaces → return → desk loop again.

Recovery loop: replay last minute of audio → full instrument cycle → How to Progress if still stuck.

This mirrors the Operator Checklist but adds launch-specific store and spoiler steps.

When to read updates mid-session

If Steam pushes a day-one patch, pause story, read Patch Notes, retest Controls, then resume. Do not stack patches mid-boss-beat emotionally—save, patch, verify audio, continue.

When something breaks mid-launch

Crash loops, missing interact prompts, or broken options menus are not soft-locks—file a report via Bug Report Guide with build ID, repro steps, expected vs actual, and specs. Self-triage progression stalls first on How to Progress When Stuck. Join official channels only through Discord & Community—no copied invite codes.

After hour one

Calibrate tone with Review if adrenaline misled you. Deepen machines on Terminals & Radio and layout on Operator Station. Plan branching awareness via Decisions & Branching before you hunt endings.

Launch day is procedural. Treat it like a shift handover, not a speedrun.

Closing launch note

FromSouthGames reached 60,000+ wishlists, earned Steam Deck Verified, and shipped four endings and eight achievements at launch. Honor that work by listening carefully.

Hubs: Tools, Updates, Overview, Guides, Systems. Store facts: Release & Demo. News archive: Steam News, Launch News.