About
Impossible Creatures is a 2003 RTS by Relic Entertainment in which players fuse DNA from real animals to build entirely custom creature armies — combine a gorilla with a scorpion, a shark with a hawk, and deploy them in tactical island combat. The Steam Edition (app 324680) added Steam Workshop support for community creature packs and maps and was later delisted from the store. ProtonDB rates it Platinum (trending Gold); on Steam Deck it has not been officially Verified, so it is still untested in this recipe — windowed mode and the -moddev launch option are the main things to try.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- IC.exe
- Options
- -moddev %command%
- Needs files
- none beyond the binary
Proton
- Version
- Proton 9.0
- Winetricks
- —
- ProtonDB
- ProtonDB Platinum runs flawlessly
⚙ Setup notes
Overview: Impossible Creatures is a 2003 real-time strategy game by Relic Entertainment, published by Microsoft. Players combine DNA from two real-world animals to create custom hybrid creatures, then build armies and battle across a remote island chain. The Steam Edition (app 324680) added Steam Workshop support; it was later delisted from the Steam store, so a license must already be owned to install it.
ProtonDB status: ProtonDB lists the game as Platinum (recently trending Gold) across ~13 reports. It has not been officially Steam Deck Verified, so this recipe stays needs-test — treat the settings below as a starting point, not a confirmed configuration.
Executable: The game launches from IC.exe in the install root (e.g. steamapps/common/Impossible Creatures/IC.exe). Note that MissionEditor.exe in the same folder is the separate map editor, not the game.
Proton version: Reports are positive on recent stable Proton (Proton 9.0 or the latest stable release is a reasonable default, set under *Steam → Properties → Compatibility*). Older/Experimental builds have been less reliable for some users, so prefer a current stable Proton if you hit problems.
Fullscreen vs. windowed: Several users report the game running poorly or not animating in fullscreen under Proton and needing windowed mode instead (toggle in-game options, or Alt+Enter). If you get a black/garbled menu or very low framerate at boot, switch to windowed mode first. Some reports also note DXVK helps; on modern Proton DXVK is used by default.
Slow startup fix: By default the game re-downloads every subscribed Steam Workshop item on each launch, which can make boot take a very long time. The -moddev launch option (already set in this recipe) skips that re-download and starts the game much faster. Remove it if you specifically want Workshop content to update on launch. If it still hangs or crashes at boot, check warnings.log in the install root and verify the game files.
Steam Workshop: Workshop subscriptions function through Steam on Deck. Subscribe to community creature packs, campaign mods, and skirmish maps from the game's Workshop page; downloaded content appears in the in-game mod browser. (With -moddev set, run the game once without it to fetch newly subscribed items.)
Controls: This is a mouse-and-keyboard RTS with no native controller support. Use the right trackpad as a mouse via Steam Input; the community "mouse + keyboard" Deck layout works well, and community per-game controller layouts may be available in Steam Input's community templates. Plan for some on-screen-keyboard use for hotkeys.
Display: Set the resolution in the in-game graphics options. The Deck's native 1280×800 should be selectable; if it is not listed, pick the nearest 16:10 option or run windowed.
Saves: Saves live inside the Proton prefix under the Windows user Documents path and persist across sessions normally.
The one thing to know
Untested on this Deck: ProtonDB is Platinum (trending Gold), but the game is not Steam Deck Verified and this recipe has not been hands-on tested — status stays needs-test.
Delisted title: The Steam Edition was removed from the store. You must already own it on your Steam account to install it.
Fullscreen can misbehave: Some users see very low framerate or a non-animating/black menu in fullscreen under Proton and have to use windowed mode (in-game option or Alt+Enter). Try windowed first if performance is bad.
Slow startup: The game re-downloads subscribed Workshop content on every launch. The -moddev launch option (set in this recipe) skips that for fast boots; drop it temporarily when you want Workshop items to update.
Mouse-centric UI: No native controller support — it is a keyboard-and-mouse RTS. Use the right trackpad as a mouse via Steam Input and expect some on-screen-keyboard use.
Resolution: Set the resolution in-game; choose 1280×800 (or the nearest 16:10 option) for the native Deck display.
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.