Choose FADE
Choose FADE if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. FADE launched in 2020.
FADE vs The Relic: First Guardian
FADE and The Relic: First Guardian both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam. FADE (2020) is 6 years older than The Relic: First Guardian (2026). FADE scores higher on Steam reviews (67.4% positive) than The Relic: First Guardian (47.1% 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 Relic: First Guardian
Choose The Relic: First Guardian if you want the Gamepad Recommended side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Relic: First Guardian launched in 2026.
Both FADE and The Relic: First Guardian sit in Action, 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
 FADE |  The Relic: First Guardian | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, RPG, Early Access | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 67.4% positive (46 reviews) | 47.1% positive (223 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Knight by Night | Project Cloud Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- FADE (2020) is 6 years older than The Relic: First Guardian (2026).
- FADE scores higher on Steam reviews (67.4% positive) than The Relic: First Guardian (47.1% positive).
- FADE is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than The Relic: First Guardian (24.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
FADE vs The Relic: First Guardian — FAQ
- Should I play FADE or The Relic: First Guardian first?
- If you want chronology, FADE (2020) came out before The Relic: First Guardian (2026). 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 FADE and The Relic: First Guardian similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.