Choose Nightmare of Decay
Choose Nightmare of Decay if you want an Action and Adventure experience. 2,813 Steam reviews back the pick.
Nightmare of Decay vs Encroaching Shadows
Nightmare of Decay and Encroaching Shadows both land in Indie 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 are Indie games on Steam. Nightmare of Decay (2022) is 4 years older than Encroaching Shadows (2026). Nightmare of Decay is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Encroaching Shadows has no Deck rating yet. 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 Encroaching Shadows
Choose Encroaching Shadows if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Encroaching Shadows launched in 2026.
Both Nightmare of Decay and Encroaching Shadows sit in Indie 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
 Nightmare of Decay |  Encroaching Shadows | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 96.1% positive (2,813 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Checkmaty | Azure Scorpion |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Nightmare of Decay (2022) is 4 years older than Encroaching Shadows (2026).
- Nightmare of Decay is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Encroaching Shadows has no Deck rating yet.
Nightmare of Decay vs Encroaching Shadows — FAQ
- Should I play Nightmare of Decay or Encroaching Shadows first?
- If you want chronology, Nightmare of Decay (2022) came out before Encroaching Shadows (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 Nightmare of Decay and Encroaching Shadows similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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 Nightmare of Decay run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Nightmare of Decay is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Encroaching Shadows doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.