The Kingdom Rush series, debuting back in 2011, has always been among some of the most popular tower defense games. Following the release of Kingdom Rush: Vengeance in 2018, and the spin-off Legends of Kingdom Rush in 2021, the fifth entry to the series has finally been released. Titled Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance, it offers similar-styled gameplay compared to its predecessors but includes a lot of improvements. Currently, the game has been released on PC (Microsoft Windows, MacOS), Android, and iOS. However, its support is not limited to these platforms. Players on handhelds have also given the game a try, and surprisingly, it runs pretty well. Coming to handhelds, the Steam Deck is especially unique, as it runs on a Linux-based OS instead of Windows. That said, there often rise compatibility issues in games, which can lead to crashes. Similarly, if you too are encountering crashing issues while playing Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance, this is just the guide you need to get rid of the problem and enjoy the game without any interruptions.
Playing games on the Steam Deck which are not officially supported can lead to various issues. Although most games that run on the Deck without official support offer smooth gameplay, there are exceptions. Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance is a recently released game that is currently lacking official compatibility with the Steam Deck (unlike previous titles). It is neither listed as Playable nor Verified for the Deck, as of now. Due to this, expecting an official fix for the crashing issue of the game on the deck is no good. So, what can you do to fix the issue? Are there any workarounds? Continue reading to know more.
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Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance crashing on Steam Deck: How to fix it
Games crashing on the Deck is a common occurrence, which is why there are many effective workarounds to fix it. But there is no guarantee that these workarounds will be effective in your case; still, they are worth a shot. So, here are some of them for you to try:
1) Restart the Deck
First, you should start with a basic workaround. This includes restarting the Steam Deck after encountering the crashes. Sometimes, conflicting applications or a bad boot can hinder the game’s launch on the device, which is why restarting can work wonders. So, give it a try.
2) Change Proton Version
It is also possible that the proton version you are using to run the game isn’t compatible with the game, due to which the crashing issue is occurring. So, to fix this, simply head over to the game’s properties menu by going to your Steam library, selecting Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance, and then clicking the Options button to select Properties. Here, navigate to the Compatibility tab, and change the Proton version by tapping on the Force Proton Use option to bring up the drop-down menu. Here, you will have access to a bunch of Proton Versions available. We recommend starting with Proton Experimental and then switching to GE or any other old proton versions to check if the issue persists.
3) Verify Game Files
Another common cause of crashing issues in games is corrupted files. So, to make sure that corrupted files are not the cause of crashes while running Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance on your Deck, you will have to access the game’s properties menu again, as shared in the previous workaround, and then select the Installed Files tab. Here, select the Verify Integrity of Game Files option. Once the scan is complete, launch the game to check if the issue persists.
4) Update Steam Deck
The crashing issue can also be the result of an outdated Steam OS. So, to rule out this possibility, you should make sure that your Deck is updated to the latest version available. Once done, launch the game to check if the issue persists.
5) Switch to Beta Channel for Steam OS
If updating the OS didn’t fix the crashing issue, you can try switching to the beta channel before launching the game. To do this, go to the Settings menu of your Steam Deck. Here, find and select the Beta Participation option. Now, select the Beta option from the drop-down menu and save the changes. Once done, restart the Deck first, and then launch the game to check if the issue persists.
6) Use Windows
Did you know that you can run Windows on your Steam Deck as well? Although the process is a bit complicated and tedious, it is still worth a shot. Since the game is developed to run on Windows platforms, you can get rid of any compatibility issues on the Steam Deck if you dual-boot it with Windows and then run Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance. So, if none of the workarounds have been of any use, then consider dual-booting Windows OS on your Deck and then install Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance. Doing so should result in a seamless experience without any crashes.
7) Reinstall
Well, if you are not quite sure about dual-booting your Deck with Windows, then the only workaround left to try is reinstalling the game. So, start by heading to your Steam library and selecting the cog-wheel option in the game’s tile to bring up the options menu. Here, select go to the Installed Files tab, and select Uninstall. Once the process is complete, install the game again, but make sure to do it on your Deck’s internal storage.
Well, these are the workarounds worth trying if you are encountering crashes while trying to launch Kingdom Rush 5 Alliance on your Steam Deck. With that said, we hope that you found this guide informative, and for more such interesting content in the world of gaming, consider visiting Android Gram daily.
