Aperture Desk Job
Introducing Aperture Desk Job — a free playable short made for the Steam Deck, set in the universe of the modestly popular Portal games.
Developer
Publisher
Release
March 1, 2022
4 years and 155 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive24,933 reviews94.9%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | Valve is a major platform holder and corporate-scale publisher. | |
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | Valve is a major platform holder and corporate-scale publisher. | |
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
12 itemsAbout the Game
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.
Not Portal 3!
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.
Steam Deck: A Desk For Your Hands
Up until now, real life mostly involved sitting, and video games were the virtual fantasy world you could escape to. With the portable Steam Deck, we flipped that, freeing your body to run marathons and jump out of planes while your brain and hands simulate all the sitting you used to do.
It’s F-R-E-E (Free)!
Put that wallet away, gaming fan! Your money’s no good here. For this particular product. If your money stops working while trying to buy groceries, though, you should contact your bank immediately, because the cashier just stole your entire identity? You’d better go talk to her again, because what do you mean she never worked here?! Now you’ll have to go undercover as a dark web hacker to track her down! Only to find out it was a different timeline you?!! From the future?!?! And also if anyone from Hollywood is reading this bullet point, take your wallet back out, because this great idea is not free (but is for sale at buyagreatscreenplay@valvesoftware.com )
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.
Not Portal 3!
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.
Steam Deck: A Desk For Your Hands
Up until now, real life mostly involved sitting, and video games were the virtual fantasy world you could escape to. With the portable Steam Deck, we flipped that, freeing your body to run marathons and jump out of planes while your brain and hands simulate all the sitting you used to do.
It’s F-R-E-E (Free)!
Put that wallet away, gaming fan! Your money’s no good here. For this particular product. If your money stops working while trying to buy groceries, though, you should contact your bank immediately, because the cashier just stole your entire identity? You’d better go talk to her again, because what do you mean she never worked here?! Now you’ll have to go undercover as a dark web hacker to track her down! Only to find out it was a different timeline you?!! From the future?!?! And also if anyone from Hollywood is reading this bullet point, take your wallet back out, because this great idea is not free (but is for sale at buyagreatscreenplay@valvesoftware.com )
