Choose Mortal Shell
Choose Mortal Shell if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. 3,923 Steam reviews back the pick.
Mortal Shell vs Estencel
Mortal Shell and Estencel both land in Action 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 Action games on Steam. Mortal Shell (2021) is 2 years older than Estencel (2023). Both sit near 69% positive on Steam (Mortal Shell: 3,923 reviews, Estencel: 71). 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 Estencel
Choose Estencel if you want an Indie, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 97% cheaper on the Steam Store. Estencel launched in 2023.
Both Mortal Shell and Estencel sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (69.7% vs 69% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Mortal Shell |  Estencel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.7% positive (3,923 reviews) | 69% positive (71 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Cold Symmetry | Rone Vine |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Mortal Shell (2021) is 2 years older than Estencel (2023).
- Both sit near 69% positive on Steam (Mortal Shell: 3,923 reviews, Estencel: 71).
- Estencel is currently ~97% cheaper on Steam than Mortal Shell (0.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Estencel has co-op; Mortal Shell does not.
- Both are Deck Verified.
Mortal Shell vs Estencel — FAQ
- Should I play Mortal Shell or Estencel first?
- If you want chronology, Mortal Shell (2021) came out before Estencel (2023). 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 Mortal Shell and Estencel similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Mortal Shell have multiplayer like Estencel?
- No. Estencel supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Mortal Shell is listed as single-player only.
- Do Mortal Shell and Estencel both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.