Xanadu Next, an action role-playing game originally built for the Nokia N-Gage handheld in 2005 by Japanese studio Nihon Falcom, is drawing fresh attention during Steam’s ongoing Autumn sale. Available on Valve’s portable Steam Deck despite lacking official verification, the isometric dungeon crawler has won over a new wave of players with its cosy charm and surprisingly polished experience at home on the go.
The game reached this moment through an unusual path: it was surfaced to prospective buyers by Steam’s recommendation algorithm last week as part of the seasonal discount event. What began as casual curiosity, according to early coverage, quickly turned into a six-hour deep dive for one prominent reviewer who found themselves recommending the title well beyond its modest profile.
A belated follow-up with an unusual origin
Xanadu Next carries a heritage that stretches back further than most players might expect. It functions as a belated spin-off of Xanadu: Dragon Slayer 2, a PC-88 game released in 1985 and frequently credited among the first action role-playing games ever made. Nihon Falcom did not return to the concept until 2005, when it delivered Xanadu Next for the Nokia N-Gage as an exclusive Japanese release.
A PC version followed a few months later, also confined to Japan. That port reportedly played far better than its mobile counterpart, though the original design’s ambition to work seamlessly across both platforms remains one of the title’s most intriguing features. The Steam edition available today traces back to a 2016 English-language re-release.
A meditative grind with cosy charm
The result is an isometric slash-and-grind experience that borrows freely from the Diablo tradition while carving out its own identity through a light metroidvania structure. Players control a knight who can rest, upgrade and trade within a central village safe zone; beyond those walls, the world unfurls through modest puzzle-solving, simple but satisfying circle-and-slash combat, and doors unlocked with keys purchased in town that grow progressively more expensive.
Rather than demanding reflexes or punishing failure, the game offers what early reviewers described as a peaceful, almost meditative grind. The pleasure of pushing further into its blocky, labyrinthine world — discovering how interconnected areas overlap and intersect — has drawn comparisons to the thrill of recognition found in more ambitious titles.
“This isometric slash ‘n’ grind isn’t brilliant, but it has a lot of cosy charm and a fun metroidvania structure. It’s a peaceful, even meditative grind, and the pleasure of pressing further and further outwards into the labyrinthine and reassuringly blocky world is ample incentive to do so.”
Reviewer assessment via Gamer24h source coverage
The atmosphere blends cheerful JRPG village aesthetics with something mistier and more melancholy, a tonal blend that has prompted some players to revisit the broader Nihon Falcom catalogue, including instalments of the Ys series.
Playing on Steam Deck: setup required
The game is currently discounted as part of the Autumn sale. However, prospective Steam Deck owners should note that it lacks thorough native controller support — a common limitation for rare PC-only JRPGs from this era. A decent community controller profile exists, though players may still need to reach for the mouse at times to equip items.
The reviewer strongly recommends loading the separate configuration executable and adjusting graphics settings before launching. The game does not automatically adapt to external displays, and while the Steam page lists it as unsupported on Steam Deck, that designation can be overcome with a bit of preparation: boot the config first, apply a community controller profile, and the experience becomes fully playable.
Looking ahead
With the Autumn sale still underway, Xanadu Next remains available at
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