Choose Ruine
Choose Ruine if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Ruine launched in 2019.
Ruine vs Rune Knights
Ruine and Rune Knights both land in Action, Indie, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam. Ruine (2019) is 1 year older than Rune Knights (2020). Ruine scores higher on Steam reviews (90.9% positive) than Rune Knights (79.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Rune Knights
Choose Rune Knights if you want the Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Rune Knights launched in 2020.
Both Ruine and Rune Knights sit in Action, Indie, and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Ruine |  Rune Knights | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.9% positive (11 reviews) | 79.3% positive (179 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | NihilNode | Aeromir |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Ruine (2019) is 1 year older than Rune Knights (2020).
- Ruine scores higher on Steam reviews (90.9% positive) than Rune Knights (79.3% positive).
- Ruine is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Rune Knights (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Rune Knights has co-op; Ruine does not.
Ruine vs Rune Knights — FAQ
- Should I play Ruine or Rune Knights first?
- If you want chronology, Ruine (2019) came out before Rune Knights (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Ruine and Rune Knights similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Ruine have multiplayer like Rune Knights?
- No. Rune Knights supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Ruine is listed as single-player only.