#embers

Paper Shredder is shaping up as a satisfying simulation game that's working to make its way onto Steam Deck and Linux via Windows. Thanks to the creative work of developer Embers. Due to make its way onto Steam. Paper Shredder has passed 100,000 Steam wishlists in only 48 hours. The odd office sim went viral across social sites and gaming groups. That surge puts fresh eyes on its support plans.

Paper Shredder finds a crowd

The game comes from indie studio Embers. It puts you in a low-level office job. Your task sounds simple. Shred huge stacks of company files. Do enough work and you can earn a $1,000,000 payout. The job starts one sheet at a time. Then the whole thing grows fast. You shred files and sweep up paper scraps. Those jobs earn company merit points. You can spend those points on better gear. Basic tools can turn into heavy-duty machines. The goal is speed. More gear means more paper can vanish. That loop gives the game its satisfying simulation hook. Huge paper stacks become light piles of confetti.

The office gets strange

There is more here than paper dust. The office has a dark joke at its core. A Happiness Manager watches your shift. They give constant support with a dose of toxic cheer. The Paper Shredder tone is meant to feel forced. Morale must stay high, at least on paper. The gameplay also hides paths under the mess. Old workers may have tried to shred their way out. That gives the grind a second goal. You can dig for clues while clearing each pile. The story can also branch. Your path may depend on what you find.

Paper Shredder - Official Announcement Trailer

Support needs care

The source says the game will support Linux via Windows. Steam Deck support is also planned. That wording matters. It does not confirm a native build. It may mean the Windows build will run on via Proton.

...we plan to have the game Steam Deck / Steam Machine verified.

Embers is building Paper Shredder with Unreal Engine 5. There will not get a native Linux version. Instead, the team plans to target Steam Deck and Steam Machine verification, giving players a clear path through Valve’s hardware. No Steam Deck Verified status has been shared yet. The studio has not posted test results either. There are no frame rate results so far. Smooth performance is still an open question. Players should wait for real test data. The same goes for Steam Deck users. Still, Linux and Deck are part of the stated plan. That makes the next tests worth watching.

Demo and playtests are planned

Paper Shredder is still in active development for PC. Its release date remains TBD. Before launch, Embers plans public playtests. A playable Steam demo is also planned. Those tests should give players a much better look. They may also show how well the game runs. For Tux users, that stage will matter a lot. Deck players may get useful answers too. So far, no hardware results have been shared.

What to watch next

She feels their pedals sink between her fingers, leaving nothing but dried carbon

“Grab these lavender thorns and shove them into my wrists

Maybe I’ll feel something different” she yells

Her liquid runs across her skin, starving for more

She continues to slam those twisted stems into her arms

“Oh god, oh god, oh god” she repeats internally

Wondering how long until these newfound scars will take to blossom

Little does she know, cutting through her own skin will find no flowers

Yet she continues to wail

anxiety works in weird ways (chp. 25)

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Dragon’s fire is not so easily extinguished; when Zuko rediscovers a lost firebending technique, shifting flames can shift the world…