Games like 9 Years of Shadows
If 9 Years of Shadows is your kind of game, the closest matches are Afterimage, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell and Timespinner — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its atmospheric, challenging and contemplative. 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.
Get personalized picks →9 Years of Shadows is a 2023 metroidvania action-adventure from Halberd Studios set in a dark world where players restore color to the environment. The game features armor-based progression, and boss encounters use a shared health and mana pool that players describe as creating tension. Players explore through a linear but flexible structure with optional secrets to discover. Reviewers highlight the contemplative atmosphere and immersive quality of the world, while players note that the shifting color palette provides both visual feedback and narrative motivation. The game is playable on Steam Deck and priced at $19.99 USD, holding a 77% positive rating from over 1000 Steam reviews.
About 9 Years of Shadows: Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.
Players who liked 9 Years of Shadows also play
Steam players who put hours into 9 Years of Shadows also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Afterimage
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Top pick for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Afterimage is a hand-drawn 2D action adventure that emphasizes fast-paced combat with diversified character builds, non-linear levels, and a gripping story set in the ruins of a fantasy world.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Second-strongest match for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
"Momodora: Moonlit Farewell" is the latest installment in the Momodora series. Join Momo, High Priestess of the village of Koho, as she embarks on a divine mission to save her people from imminent destruction at the hands of the demon hordes summoned by a malevolent bellringer.
Timespinner
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Third-strongest match for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Travel back in time to change fate itself, in this beautifully crafted story-driven adventure, inspired by classic 90s action-platformers. Join timekeeper Lunais on her quest for revenge against the empire that killed her family, using time-bending powers to explore a vast, connected world.
Blasphemous 2
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Ranked #4 for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
The Penitent One awakens as Blasphemous 2 joins him once again in an endless struggle against The Miracle. Dive into a perilous new world filled with mysteries and secrets to discover, and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest to end the cycle once and for all.
ITORAH
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Ranked #5 for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Discover the world of Nahucan in this 2D action platformer. You are Itorah, the only human in this strange place. Explore, fight and survive to uncover your past and save Nahucan from its biggest threat, a mysterious plague!
Foregone
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Ranked #6 for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Foregone is a fast and fluid 2D action-platformer packed with legendary loot and stunning pixel art. Collect an arsenal of powerful weapons and unravel a compelling story of regret and conspiracy as you slice your way through hordes of enemies to save Calagan.
Alwa's Legacy
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Ranked #7 for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, mystic items and ancient secrets. Upgrade your magic and choose your own path in this non-linear adventure game brimming with exploration.
GRIME
WHY THIS
Ranked #8 for 9 Years of Shadows fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Destroy... Absorb... Grow... GRIME is a fast and unforgiving Action-Adventure RPG in which you crush your foes with living weapons that mutate form and function, and then consume their remains with a black hole to strengthen your vessel as you break apart a world of anatomical horror and intrigue.
Reviewers mention these as similar to 9 Years of Shadows
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul
WHY THIS
Reviewers of 9 Years of Shadows cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action with 9 Years of Shadows.
The 12 Gold Saints are coming back to burn their cosmos with outstanding graphics, solid gameplay, characters from the whole series… and so much more to discover!
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Reviewers of 9 Years of Shadows cross-mention this title as a similar play.
Reawaken your inner demon in a modernized version of the acclaimed ATLUS classic, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster.
Castle of Vania
WHY THIS
Reviewers of 9 Years of Shadows cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Adventure with 9 Years of Shadows.
Invade the castle of the powerful Vampire Vania, face several difficult, exciting and sensual challenges to end this reign of horror and orgies.
Symphony of the Stars
WHY THIS
Reviewers of 9 Years of Shadows cross-mention this title as a similar play.
Explore a vast fantasy world in this top-down RPG. Sneak past enemies with overworld skills or engage them in strategic, turn-based combat. Solve puzzles and build the strength of your characters as an epic adventure unfolds!
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below 9 Years of Shadows at current Steam store prices.
Garry's Mod
WHY THIS
Priced ~75% under 9 Years of Shadows on Steam right now. Shares Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
Lethal Company
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under 9 Years of Shadows on Steam right now. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
Left 4 Dead 2
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under 9 Years of Shadows on Steam right now. Shares Action with 9 Years of Shadows.
Set in the zombie apocalypse, Left 4 Dead 2 is a co-operative action horror FPS takes you and your friends through the cities, swamps and cemeteries of the Deep South, from Savannah to New Orleans across five expansive campaigns.
People Playground
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under 9 Years of Shadows on Steam right now. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Shoot, stab, burn, poison, tear, vaporise, or crush ragdolls in a large open space.
Fallout: New Vegas
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under 9 Years of Shadows on Steam right now. Shares Action with 9 Years of Shadows.
Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas. Enjoy your stay!
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Adventure with 9 Years of Shadows.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Ultimate Custom Night
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with 9 Years of Shadows.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
The Looker
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Afterimage
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Afterimage is a hand-drawn 2D action adventure that emphasizes fast-paced combat with diversified character builds, non-linear levels, and a gripping story set in the ruins of a fantasy world.
Timespinner
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Travel back in time to change fate itself, in this beautifully crafted story-driven adventure, inspired by classic 90s action-platformers. Join timekeeper Lunais on her quest for revenge against the empire that killed her family, using time-bending powers to explore a vast, connected world.
Blasphemous 2
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
The Penitent One awakens as Blasphemous 2 joins him once again in an endless struggle against The Miracle. Dive into a perilous new world filled with mysteries and secrets to discover, and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest to end the cycle once and for all.
Foregone
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Foregone is a fast and fluid 2D action-platformer packed with legendary loot and stunning pixel art. Collect an arsenal of powerful weapons and unravel a compelling story of regret and conspiracy as you slice your way through hordes of enemies to save Calagan.
Alwa's Legacy
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with 9 Years of Shadows.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, mystic items and ancient secrets. Upgrade your magic and choose your own path in this non-linear adventure game brimming with exploration.
GRIME
WHY THIS
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with 9 Years of Shadows.
Destroy... Absorb... Grow... GRIME is a fast and unforgiving Action-Adventure RPG in which you crush your foes with living weapons that mutate form and function, and then consume their remains with a black hole to strengthen your vessel as you break apart a world of anatomical horror and intrigue.
Frequently asked about 9 Years of Shadows
- Does 9 Years of Shadows run on Steam Deck?
- 9 Years of Shadows 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 9 Years of Shadows cost?
- 9 Years of Shadows is listed on Steam at 19.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to 9 Years of Shadows?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside 9 Years of Shadows are Afterimage, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, Timespinner.
- Who developed 9 Years of Shadows?
- 9 Years of Shadows was developed by Halberd Studios and published by indie.io.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on 9 Years of Shadows.
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