It's been three long years since Valve first announced its Steam Machine( at Dell) initiative, the company's plan to push consolized gaming PCs into gamers' living rooms.

Steam Machines, available for purchase this November from numerous third-party hardware manufacturers, will come in a variety of makes and models, but they'll have at least one thing in common—the game boxes ship with the Steam operating system, or SteamOS.

That's where things get...problematic. The majority of Steam games aren't compatible with the Linux-based SteamOS, which greatly reduces the number of killer titles you can fire up. For example, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, an easy Game of the Year candidate, isn't available for SteamOS. You can, of course, get around this limitation by installing Windows yourself, but if you don't want to deal with Microsoft's operating system, the game library will be a fraction of what it could be.

However, the SteamOS situation isn't all doom and gloom. There are quite a few good games that have been updated to run on SteamOS—games that I highlight below. No, you won't find Valve's own games here, because, really, everyone expects Team Fortress 2 and other company titles to run on the SteamOS platform. So, consider the titles below the other games you should install after you unbox your shiny, new Steam Machine and plug in a Steam Controller($118.99 at Amazon).

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

$19.99

Polish your armor, study your spells, and venture into the world of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. This enhanced version of Baldur's Gate II features several new features that long-time Baldur's Gate II fans have desired, including improved, cross-platform multiplayer action.

BioShock Infinite

$29.99

Mercenary Booker DeWitt wants to somehow wash the blood off his hands by shooting everyone in sight as he attempts to rescue the lovely Elizabeth from the rat bastard known as Father Comstock.

Borderlands 2

$19.99

If the dour BioShock Infinite isn't your cup of tea, maybe Borderlands 2's cel-shaded shenanigans is more your flavor. This oh-so-hilarious hipster darling is all about indulging in gun porn, while blowing away baddies.

Cities: Skylines

$29.99

If Sim City's massive ball drop left you with an extreme longing for an excellent city management game, Cities: Skylines is here to fill the void. You play the role of a major who builds a city from the ground up, while juggling education, utilities, infrastructure, transportation, and other elements of modern city life.

Guacamelee!: Gold Edition

$14.99

In Guacamelee!: Gold Edition, you control a Mexican farmer who's killed by El Presidente, but later resurrected by a mysterious luchador who gives the protagonist a sick mask and the ability to kick ass. Yes, this side-scrolling platformer is as awesome as it sounds.

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Mark of the Ninja

$14.99

Mark of the Ninja is the closest thing that gaming will ever see to a ninja sim—if you believe that ninjas walk walls and have Wolverine-level super-senses. Still, this 2D game represents one of the best examples of stealth gaming ever made, with your ninja able to play the shadows, hurl weapons, and frighten enemy troops into taking out each other.

Out of the Park Baseball 2016

$39.99

Remember how grandpa would dump on your favorite ball player and then proceed to go on and on about Willie Mays' status as the greatest athlete to ever step on the field? Out of the Park Baseball 2016 lets you pit Mays's Giants vs. your team of choice in this historical sim that lets you coach current and all-time great teams. Read our OOTP16 review for an in-depth look at this excellent baseball title.





Sid Meier's Civilization V

$29.99

If your goals in life are to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women, you need immediate help. If your goals in video games are to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women, play Civilization V. It's one of the best nation-building games available on PC—provided that you pick up an expansion pack. The vanilla game is a bit ho-hum.

Skullgirls

$14.99

If you're looking for a fighting game compatible with your SteamOS-powered Steam Machine, Skullgirls wins by default, as classics like The King of Fighters XIII, Mortal Kombat X, and Ultra Street Fighter IV aren't currently available. That's not a slight against Skullgirls; the team-based fighter is full of quirky characters and interesting combat systems designed to prevent—and break—infinite combos.

Shovel Knight

$14.99

Shovel Knight, a title reminiscent of 8-bit classics like Duck Tales and Mega Man, showed the entire industry how to a throwback retro game should be done. Packed with challenging bosses, cool weapons, and an insanely catchy soundtrack, this 2D platformer is one of the gems in the indie video game scene.

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