Valve’s Aperture Desk Job launched alongside the initial Steam Deck shipments. As the name says, it’s set in the same universe as the Portal games. What’s more, its files contain information about a Portal game we never got, a follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx, and more.
The discovery was made by YouTuber Tyler McVicker, who specializes in Valve content like Half-Life 2’s surprise update last fall. McVicker has datamined Aperture Desk Job, unearthing four unreleased titles from Valve. As detailed in the YouTube video, these games revolve around some of the company’s biggest properties.
The most detailed of the discoveries is a project called Citadel. Set in the world of Half-Life, it reportedly pits teams of Combine soldiers against rebels in an “RTS/FPS hybrid.” It sounds interesting to be sure, but McVicker is unsure if Citadel is in active development at Valve — it’s certainly never been officially announced.
As for the other three projects, there’s less to go on. Camera-based Portal game F-Stop has been known for a few years now, and it’s referenced in Desk Job’s code. The datamine also implies that CS: GO will move to Valve’s Source 2 engine, which isn’t terribly exciting. However, the hint of a Half-Life: Alyx sequel definitely is. The original is one of the best VR games out there, after all.
