Choose Rune Factory 4 Special
Choose Rune Factory 4 Special if it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,048 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rune Factory 4 Special vs Rune Factory 3 Special
Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 3 Special both land in 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 are RPG games on Steam. Rune Factory 4 Special (2021) is 2 years older than Rune Factory 3 Special (2023). Rune Factory 3 Special scores higher on Steam reviews (93.3% positive) than Rune Factory 4 Special (91.6% 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 Rune Factory 3 Special
Choose Rune Factory 3 Special if you want a Simulation and Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Rune Factory 3 Special launched in 2023.
Both Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 3 Special sit in RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (91.6% vs 93.3% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Rune Factory 4 Special |  Rune Factory 3 Special | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | RPG | Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (1,048 reviews) | 93.3% positive (283 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Marvelous Inc. | Marvelous Inc. |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Rune Factory 4 Special (2021) is 2 years older than Rune Factory 3 Special (2023).
- Rune Factory 3 Special scores higher on Steam reviews (93.3% positive) than Rune Factory 4 Special (91.6% positive).
- Rune Factory 4 Special is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Rune Factory 3 Special (29.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Rune Factory 4 Special is Deck Playable, Rune Factory 3 Special is Deck Verified.
Rune Factory 4 Special vs Rune Factory 3 Special — FAQ
- Which is better, Rune Factory 4 Special or Rune Factory 3 Special?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Rune Factory 4 Special sits at 91.6% positive (1,048 reviews), Rune Factory 3 Special at 93.3% (283). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Rune Factory 4 Special or Rune Factory 3 Special first?
- If you want chronology, Rune Factory 4 Special (2021) came out before Rune Factory 3 Special (2023). 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 Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 3 Special similar?
- They overlap on 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.