Choose Steelborn
Choose Steelborn if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Steelborn launched in 2023.
Steelborn vs Metal Slug: Awakening
Steelborn and Metal Slug: Awakening both land in Action, Adventure, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Steelborn (2023) is 1 year older than Metal Slug: Awakening (2024). Steelborn scores higher on Steam reviews (80.6% positive) than Metal Slug: Awakening (62.1% 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 Metal Slug: Awakening
Choose Metal Slug: Awakening if you want a Massively Multiplayer, RPG, and Free To Play game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Metal Slug: Awakening launched in 2024.
Both Steelborn and Metal Slug: Awakening sit in Action, Adventure, and Casual 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
 Steelborn |  Metal Slug: Awakening | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 80.6% positive (36 reviews) | 62.1% positive (867 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Vega Horizon Studio | Tencent |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Steelborn (2023) is 1 year older than Metal Slug: Awakening (2024).
- Steelborn scores higher on Steam reviews (80.6% positive) than Metal Slug: Awakening (62.1% positive).
- Metal Slug: Awakening is free; Steelborn is paid (14.99 USD).
- Metal Slug: Awakening has co-op; Steelborn does not.
- Steam Deck: Steelborn is Deck Playable, Metal Slug: Awakening is Deck Unsupported.
Steelborn vs Metal Slug: Awakening — FAQ
- Should I play Steelborn or Metal Slug: Awakening first?
- If you want chronology, Steelborn (2023) came out before Metal Slug: Awakening (2024). 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 Steelborn and Metal Slug: Awakening similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Casual 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.
- Does Steelborn have multiplayer like Metal Slug: Awakening?
- No. Metal Slug: Awakening supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Steelborn is listed as single-player only.
- Is Metal Slug: Awakening free?
- Yes — Metal Slug: Awakening is a free-to-play Steam title. Steelborn is paid (14.99 USD).