Choose Hack and Slime
Choose Hack and Slime if you want an Early Access experience. Hack and Slime launched in 2022.
Hack and Slime vs Ethral
Hack and Slime and Ethral both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Hack and Slime (2022) is 4 years older than Ethral (2026). 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 Ethral
Choose Ethral if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Ethral launched in 2026.
Both Hack and Slime and Ethral sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 Hack and Slime |  Ethral | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 0.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 72.7% positive (33 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | BULLWARESOFT, SpoonBox Studio | Vessel Interactive Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Hack and Slime (2022) is 4 years older than Ethral (2026).
Hack and Slime vs Ethral — FAQ
- Should I play Hack and Slime or Ethral first?
- If you want chronology, Hack and Slime (2022) came out before Ethral (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 Hack and Slime and Ethral similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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.