Choose Owlboy
Choose Owlboy if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. 2,379 Steam reviews back the pick.
Owlboy vs Shadow Bug
Owlboy and Shadow Bug both land in Action, Indie, 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 share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Owlboy (2016) is 1 year older than Shadow Bug (2017). Shadow Bug scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Owlboy (85.8% 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 Shadow Bug
Choose Shadow Bug if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Shadow Bug launched in 2017.
Both Owlboy and Shadow Bug sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Owlboy |  Shadow Bug | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.8% positive (2,379 reviews) | 96% positive (25 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | D-Pad Studio | Muro Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Owlboy (2016) is 1 year older than Shadow Bug (2017).
- Shadow Bug scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Owlboy (85.8% positive).
- Owlboy is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Bug (1.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Owlboy is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shadow Bug has no Deck rating yet.
Owlboy vs Shadow Bug — FAQ
- Should I play Owlboy or Shadow Bug first?
- If you want chronology, Owlboy (2016) came out before Shadow Bug (2017). 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 Owlboy and Shadow Bug similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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 Owlboy run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Owlboy is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shadow Bug doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.