Choose The Altered Lands
Choose The Altered Lands if you want an Indie, Adventure, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Altered Lands launched in 2021.
The Altered Lands vs Mortal Shell II
The Altered Lands and Mortal Shell II both land in Action, 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, RPG on Steam. The Altered Lands (2021) is 5 years older than Mortal Shell II (2026). Mortal Shell II scores higher on Steam reviews (78.6% positive) than The Altered Lands (62.2% 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 Mortal Shell II
Choose Mortal Shell II if you want the DualShock Controller Support, Adjustable Text Size, and Subtitle Options side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 20,512 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Altered Lands and Mortal Shell II sit in Action 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
 The Altered Lands |  Mortal Shell II | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access | Action, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 62.2% positive (37 reviews) | 78.6% positive (20,512 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | VoidCompiler | Cold Symmetry |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- The Altered Lands (2021) is 5 years older than Mortal Shell II (2026).
- Mortal Shell II scores higher on Steam reviews (78.6% positive) than The Altered Lands (62.2% positive).
- The Altered Lands is free; Mortal Shell II is paid (49.99 USD).
- Mortal Shell II is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Altered Lands has no Deck rating yet.
The Altered Lands vs Mortal Shell II — FAQ
- Should I play The Altered Lands or Mortal Shell II first?
- If you want chronology, The Altered Lands (2021) came out before Mortal Shell II (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 The Altered Lands and Mortal Shell II similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Is The Altered Lands free?
- Yes — The Altered Lands is a free-to-play Steam title. Mortal Shell II is paid (49.99 USD).