Choose Rune Knights
Choose Rune Knights if you want a RPG game with Steam Leaderboards and Online Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 79.3% positive across 179 reviews.
Rune Knights vs Never Return
Rune Knights and Never Return both land in Action, Indie, Early Access 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, Early Access on Steam. Rune Knights (2020) is 1 year older than Never Return (2021). Rune Knights scores higher on Steam reviews (79.3% positive) than Never Return (72.3% 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 Never Return
Choose Never Return if you want an Adventure game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. Never Return launched in 2021.
Both Rune Knights and Never Return sit in Action, Indie, and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player and Co-op, 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
 Rune Knights |  Never Return | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.3% positive (179 reviews) | 72.3% positive (328 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Aeromir | YeMuNetWork |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Early Access on Steam.
- Rune Knights (2020) is 1 year older than Never Return (2021).
- Rune Knights scores higher on Steam reviews (79.3% positive) than Never Return (72.3% positive).
- Never Return is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than Rune Knights (13.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Rune Knights vs Never Return — FAQ
- Which is better, Rune Knights or Never Return?
- On Steam reviews Rune Knights scores higher (79.3% positive) than Never Return (72.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Rune Knights is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Rune Knights or Never Return first?
- If you want chronology, Rune Knights (2020) came out before Never Return (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 Rune Knights and Never Return similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Early Access 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.
- Do both Rune Knights and Never Return have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rune Knights ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Never Return ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.