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Evil Dead: Regeneration

Proton (Windows) Third-person action, hack-and-slash 2005 other ⚙ GE-Proton
Does it run on your Deck?

About

Evil Dead: Regeneration is a 2005 third-person hack-and-slash based on Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films, with Bruce Campbell reprising his role as Ash Williams. Set in an alternate continuity after Evil Dead II, Ash is committed to an asylum and must again fight off the Deadites, aided by the wise-mouthed, joke-slinging half-Deadite sidekick Sam, voiced by Ted Raimi. Released for Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, it was noted for its over-the-top humor and gory combat but criticized for being short and repetitive. It is out of print following THQ's closure and the splintering of the Evil Dead game license.

Identity

DeveloperCranky Pants Games
PublisherTHQ
Released2005
GenreThird-person action, hack-and-slash
ModesSingle-player
Engineother
TypeProton (Windows)
AliasesEvil Dead Regeneration, Evil Dead

Launch

Binary
game/EvilDead.exe
Needs files
none beyond the binary

Proton

Version
GE-Proton
Winetricks

⚙ Setup notes

Game: 2005 Cranky Pants Games / THQ third-person action game (Bruce Campbell as Ash).

Binary: Retail disc installs to THQ/Evil Dead Regeneration/ with the playable EXE at
game/EvilDead.exe. A separate Launcher.exe in the root sets resolution/controls before
handing off to EvilDead.exe — point the launch at the game EXE directly to skip it.

DRM — main blocker: The retail disc is protected with StarForce, whose driver does
not load on modern Windows and does not work under Proton/Wine at all. You must apply the
official Beenox retail Patch 1.01, which updates the executable so it no longer needs the
StarForce disc check — without it the game will not start. Bring your own legitimately owned
disc/copy (out of print: THQ defunct + the Evil Dead game license has since splintered).

Controller: Native input is DirectInput-only; the pad is not detected as a normal
XInput gamepad, so create a Steam Input keyboard/mouse + controller mapping.

Known issues: Launches in a window with no in-menu widescreen option, and controls can
freeze if you don't give input within a few seconds of the game starting — tap a key/button
on the title screen. No community WidescreenFixesPack patch exists yet (only requested).

Proton: Use GE-Proton; fall back to proton_experimental if it misbehaves.

The one thing to know

Supply your own copy: Out of print — supply your own legitimately owned disc/copy;
configuration only, no download links.

StarForce blocker: The unpatched retail EXE will not run on Proton — apply the official
Beenox Patch 1.01 (removes the StarForce disc check) before adding to Steam.

Binary: Playable EXE is game/EvilDead.exe; Launcher.exe in the root is only a config
front-end.

Controller: DirectInput-only — map via Steam Input.

Display: Opens windowed with no widescreen toggle; controls can freeze if no input is
given shortly after launch.

Community guides

Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.

Get the artwork

deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.

Run it on your Deck

Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it writes the recipe (binary, launch options, Proton version) and registers the shortcut with artwork.