Choose Illness in the East
Choose Illness in the East if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 87% cheaper on the Steam Store. Illness in the East launched in 2020.
Illness in the East vs Sword of Elpisia
Illness in the East and Sword of Elpisia both land in Adventure, RPG 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 Adventure, RPG on Steam. Illness in the East (2020) is 2 years older than Sword of Elpisia (2022). Illness in the East is currently ~87% cheaper on Steam than Sword of Elpisia (0.99 USD vs. 7.49 USD). 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 Sword of Elpisia
Choose Sword of Elpisia if you want a Strategy and Simulation experience. Sword of Elpisia launched in 2022.
Both Illness in the East and Sword of Elpisia sit in Adventure and RPG on Steam, 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
 Illness in the East |  Sword of Elpisia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, RPG | Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 7.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | — | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bogozet | Exe Create Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Illness in the East (2020) is 2 years older than Sword of Elpisia (2022).
- Illness in the East is currently ~87% cheaper on Steam than Sword of Elpisia (0.99 USD vs. 7.49 USD).
- Sword of Elpisia is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Illness in the East has no Deck rating yet.
Illness in the East vs Sword of Elpisia — FAQ
- Should I play Illness in the East or Sword of Elpisia first?
- If you want chronology, Illness in the East (2020) came out before Sword of Elpisia (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 Illness in the East and Sword of Elpisia similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, RPG 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.