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House Party update 1.5.2.14289 went live on October 5, 2026, with Steam Deck readability and text-entry improvements, a new Deck-only graphics preset, and better controller navigation on both Deck and desktop PC. The patch also fixes an issue that could truncate translated story text.
What changed in House Party update 1.5.2.14289?
Eek! Games describes the release as an update focused on Steam Deck and controller support. Its announcement says: “This update focuses on Steam Deck and controller support, with improvements to menu navigation, readability, and text entry.” The dated release summary is on the Eek! Games news page; feature details are in the official Steam Community announcement.
What is improved on Steam Deck?
- More readable interface: Text sizes and layouts were adjusted for the smaller display, including dialogue, inventory text, Opportunities, Memories, and interaction menus.
- More consistent controller prompts: The update addresses prompts when using the Deck’s trackpads.
- Easier text entry: On-screen keyboard support was improved.
- A Deck graphics preset: “Steam Deck Defaults” is a new preset Eek! Games says is tuned for a better balance of performance and visual quality out of the box.
The announcement provides no benchmark figures or testing method, so it does not establish a specific frame rate, battery-life improvement, or measured performance result.
What does Steam Deck Defaults do, and should you select it?
The preset appears only on Steam Deck. New Steam Deck installations select it automatically, while existing players keep their saved graphics settings. If you already play on Deck and want to try the preset, select Steam Deck Defaults under Graphics Settings. You can still adjust individual graphics settings afterward.
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Did controller support improve on desktop PC too?
Yes. The navigation changes also apply to desktop PC players using a controller. Eek! Games cites clearer selection highlights, more reliable scrolling, and fixes for controls that were hard to reach or menus that were difficult to exit. The affected areas include the main menu, settings, character customizer, custom story browser, and shared design browser.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What localization fixes are included?
A bug could cut off translated story text after its first line. The patch fixes that issue so longer translated passages retain their text, line breaks, and paragraphs. It also expands font coverage to address missing localized characters and refines existing translations. The announcement does not list every language affected by this patch.
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Eek! Games also mentions other fixes but does not provide a complete list in the announcement, so their specifics are not established there.
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