Choose Alan Wake
Choose Alan Wake if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 16,015 Steam reviews back the pick.
Alan Wake vs Shadows of Christmas Eve
Alan Wake and Shadows of Christmas Eve both land in Adventure 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 Adventure games on Steam. Alan Wake (2012) is 14 years older than Shadows of Christmas Eve (2026). Alan Wake is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shadows of Christmas Eve has no Deck rating yet. 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 Shadows of Christmas Eve
Choose Shadows of Christmas Eve if you want an Indie game with Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and #category_playable_at_your_own_pace. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Shadows of Christmas Eve launched in 2026.
Both Alan Wake and Shadows of Christmas Eve sit in Adventure 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
 Alan Wake |  Shadows of Christmas Eve | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 2.24 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 88.4% positive (16,015 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Remedy Entertainment | InLoop Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Alan Wake (2012) is 14 years older than Shadows of Christmas Eve (2026).
- Alan Wake is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shadows of Christmas Eve has no Deck rating yet.
Alan Wake vs Shadows of Christmas Eve — FAQ
- Should I play Alan Wake or Shadows of Christmas Eve first?
- If you want chronology, Alan Wake (2012) came out before Shadows of Christmas Eve (2026). 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 Alan Wake and Shadows of Christmas Eve similar?
- They overlap on Adventure 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 Alan Wake run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Alan Wake is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shadows of Christmas Eve doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.