Choose Custodian: Beginning of the End
Choose Custodian: Beginning of the End if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Custodian: Beginning of the End launched in 2021.
Custodian: Beginning of the End vs Winds Of Arcana: Ruination
Custodian: Beginning of the End and Winds Of Arcana: Ruination 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. Custodian: Beginning of the End (2021) is 4 years older than Winds Of Arcana: Ruination (2025). Winds Of Arcana: Ruination scores higher on Steam reviews (81% positive) than Custodian: Beginning of the End (72.2% 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 Winds Of Arcana: Ruination
Choose Winds Of Arcana: Ruination if you want the DualShock Controller Support, Gamepad Recommended, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Winds Of Arcana: Ruination launched in 2025.
Both Custodian: Beginning of the End and Winds Of Arcana: Ruination 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
 Custodian: Beginning of the End |  Winds Of Arcana: Ruination | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 12.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 72.2% positive (18 reviews) | 81% positive (79 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Red-Pixel | Brewed Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Custodian: Beginning of the End (2021) is 4 years older than Winds Of Arcana: Ruination (2025).
- Winds Of Arcana: Ruination scores higher on Steam reviews (81% positive) than Custodian: Beginning of the End (72.2% positive).
- Custodian: Beginning of the End is free; Winds Of Arcana: Ruination is paid (12.99 USD).
- Winds Of Arcana: Ruination is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Custodian: Beginning of the End has no Deck rating yet.
Custodian: Beginning of the End vs Winds Of Arcana: Ruination — FAQ
- Should I play Custodian: Beginning of the End or Winds Of Arcana: Ruination first?
- If you want chronology, Custodian: Beginning of the End (2021) came out before Winds Of Arcana: Ruination (2025). 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 Custodian: Beginning of the End and Winds Of Arcana: Ruination 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.
- Is Custodian: Beginning of the End free?
- Yes — Custodian: Beginning of the End is a free-to-play Steam title. Winds Of Arcana: Ruination is paid (12.99 USD).