Rank 01Why this
Also Perma Death and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
- $1.99 (Price checked Oct 5)
- Deck Verified
- 2015
Games like Blackthorn Arena
- 22 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked Blackthorn Arena also play
The closest matches to Blackthorn Arena: Mordheim: City of the Damned, Expeditions: Viking, Darkest Dungeon®, Battle Brothers, and MENACE. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Shares character development with Blackthorn Arena.
- $7.49 (Price checked Oct 5)
- Deck Playable
- 2017
Rank 03- $3.74 (Price checked Oct 5)
- Deck Verified
- 2016
Rank 04 
Battle Brothers
Why this: Also Turn-Based Combat and Turn-Based Tactics, like Blackthorn Arena.
Rank 05 
MENACE
Why this: Also CRPG and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
Rank 06 
Rank 07 
Rank 08 
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Blackthorn Arena
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1Mordheim: City of the Damned
Also Perma Death and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
- 71% of 4,698 reviews
- 2
- 3
- 4Battle Brothers
Also Turn-Based Combat and Turn-Based Tactics, like Blackthorn Arena.
- 89% of 14,754 reviews
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14Gladiator Guild Manager
Also Turn-Based Tactics and Medieval, like Blackthorn Arena.
- 81% of 1,563 reviews
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2020
- Developer: PersonaeGame Studio
- Price: $9.99−60%checked Oct 3
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 65% of 532 reviews
- Genres: Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG
- Platforms: Windows
Players highlight
- Intricate lore and choices impact gameplay
- Challenging
- Dark
- Arena customization
- Character development
- Gladiator management
More games like Blackthorn Arena, sliced differently
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Blackthorn Arena at current Steam store prices.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead
Why this: Also Turn-Based Combat and Turn-Based Tactics, like Blackthorn Arena.
Gods of Sand
Why this: Shares gladiator management with Blackthorn Arena.
Urtuk: The Desolation
Why this: Also Perma Death and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
Gladiator Guild Manager
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Medieval, like Blackthorn Arena.
The Age of Decadence
Why this: Also CRPG and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to Blackthorn Arena, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
Minion Masters
Why this: Also Real Time Tactics and Turn-Based Tactics, like Blackthorn Arena.
Vampire's Fall 2
Why this: Also CRPG and Turn-Based Tactics, like Blackthorn Arena.
Battle for Wesnoth
Why this: Also Turn-Based Tactics and Medieval, like Blackthorn Arena.
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Mordheim: City of the Damned
Why this: Also Perma Death and Turn-Based Combat, like Blackthorn Arena.
About Blackthorn Arena
The closest matches to Blackthorn Arena: Mordheim: City of the Damned, Expeditions: Viking, Darkest Dungeon®, Battle Brothers, and MENACE. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Blackthorn Arena is your kind of game, the closest matches are Mordheim: City of the Damned, Expeditions: Viking and Darkest Dungeon® — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as challenging and dark, and single out its arena customization and character development. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
About Blackthorn Arena: Blackthorn Arena is a strategy/management sim with a real-time/turn based combat system, set in a world of mythical monsters and classic fantasy races. Play as the master of Blackthorn Arena, train your slaves into gladiators, forge them into your champions, and send them to fight for your glory!
Is Blackthorn Arena worth buying?
Players are split
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 65% of 532 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- On sale: 60% off, now $9.99 (checked Oct 3).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 54 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 18 h before their negative review.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Intricate lore and choices impact gameplay
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“The Developers have abandoned this to make a new game with the same assets and engine. You're not going to build a supportive community that way Personae. It's a pity because there's a diamond in the rough here. For those reading, don't…”
“Update: The devs have abandoned this game to work on their other title. This is a complete sham, if you want a game that scratches the same itch, but has actually competent devs get: We who are about to die As long as the Dev's wont fix…”
People who play it also play: Mordheim: City of the Damned, Expeditions: Viking, Darkest Dungeon®
Frequently asked about Blackthorn Arena
Can I run it?
Does Blackthorn Arena run on Steam Deck?
Blackthorn Arena is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
How much does Blackthorn Arena cost?
Blackthorn Arena is listed on Steam at 9.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
What games are most similar to Blackthorn Arena?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Blackthorn Arena are Mordheim: City of the Damned, Expeditions: Viking, Darkest Dungeon®.
Who developed Blackthorn Arena?
Blackthorn Arena was developed by PersonaeGame Studio and published by Light Up Games.