Choose Vampire Survivors
Choose Vampire Survivors if you want an Indie and RPG game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 126,214 Steam reviews back the pick.
Vampire Survivors vs Shield King
Vampire Survivors and Shield King both land in Action, 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, Casual on Steam. Vampire Survivors (2022) is 1 year older than Shield King (2023). Shield King is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Vampire Survivors (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD). 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 Shield King
Choose Shield King if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shield King launched in 2023.
Both Vampire Survivors and Shield King sit in Action 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
 Vampire Survivors |  Shield King | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG, Casual | Action, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.5% positive (126,214 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | poncle | Afil Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Casual on Steam.
- Vampire Survivors (2022) is 1 year older than Shield King (2023).
- Shield King is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Vampire Survivors (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Vampire Survivors has co-op; Shield King does not.
- Vampire Survivors is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shield King has no Deck rating yet.
Vampire Survivors vs Shield King — FAQ
- Should I play Vampire Survivors or Shield King first?
- If you want chronology, Vampire Survivors (2022) came out before Shield King (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 Vampire Survivors and Shield King similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Shield King have multiplayer like Vampire Survivors?
- No. Vampire Survivors supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Shield King is listed as single-player only.
- Does Vampire Survivors run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Vampire Survivors is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shield King doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.