Choose Petal Crash
Choose Petal Crash if you want the Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. Petal Crash launched in 2020.
Petal Crash vs The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island
Petal Crash and The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island both land in Indie 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 Indie games on Steam. Petal Crash (2020) is 2 years older than The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island (2022). Petal Crash scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island (73.1% 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 The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island
Choose The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island if you want an Action and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island launched in 2022.
Both Petal Crash and The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island sit in Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Petal Crash |  The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.7% positive (184 reviews) | 73.1% positive (26 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Friend & Fairy | Plow Games LLC. |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Petal Crash (2020) is 2 years older than The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island (2022).
- Petal Crash scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island (73.1% positive).
- The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Petal Crash (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Petal Crash is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island has no Deck rating yet.
Petal Crash vs The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island — FAQ
- Should I play Petal Crash or The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island first?
- If you want chronology, Petal Crash (2020) came out before The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island (2022). 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 Petal Crash and The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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 Petal Crash and The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Petal Crash ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.