Choose Banners of Ruin
Choose Banners of Ruin if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. 1,239 Steam reviews back the pick.
Banners of Ruin vs Monster Train
Banners of Ruin and Monster Train both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Monster Train (2020) is 1 year older than Banners of Ruin (2021). Monster Train scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Banners of Ruin (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 Monster Train
Choose Monster Train if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.7% positive across 12,182 reviews.
Both Banners of Ruin and Monster Train sit in Strategy 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
 Banners of Ruin |  Monster Train | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, RPG | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.3% positive (1,239 reviews) | 96.7% positive (12,182 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | MonteBearo | Shiny Shoe |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Monster Train (2020) is 1 year older than Banners of Ruin (2021).
- Monster Train scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Banners of Ruin (79.3% positive).
- Monster Train is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Banners of Ruin (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Banners of Ruin vs Monster Train — FAQ
- Which is better, Banners of Ruin or Monster Train?
- On Steam reviews Monster Train scores higher (96.7% positive) than Banners of Ruin (79.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Monster Train is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Banners of Ruin or Monster Train first?
- If you want chronology, Monster Train (2020) came out before Banners of Ruin (2021). 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 Banners of Ruin and Monster Train similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 Banners of Ruin have multiplayer like Monster Train?
- No. Monster Train supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Banners of Ruin is listed as single-player only.