Choose Gilded Shadows
Choose Gilded Shadows if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Gilded Shadows launched in 2022.
Gilded Shadows vs When Stars Collide
Gilded Shadows and When Stars Collide both land in Action, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Gilded Shadows (2022) is 4 years older than When Stars Collide (2026). When Stars Collide scores higher on Steam reviews (97.3% positive) than Gilded Shadows (95.7% 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 When Stars Collide
Choose When Stars Collide if you want a Free To Play game with Adjustable Text Size, Color Alternatives, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. When Stars Collide launched in 2026.
Both Gilded Shadows and When Stars Collide sit in Action, Indie, and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95.7% vs 97.3% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Gilded Shadows |  When Stars Collide | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Action, Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.7% positive (138 reviews) | 97.3% positive (37 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Steamberry Studio | Steamberry Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Gilded Shadows (2022) is 4 years older than When Stars Collide (2026).
- When Stars Collide scores higher on Steam reviews (97.3% positive) than Gilded Shadows (95.7% positive).
- When Stars Collide is free; Gilded Shadows is paid (29.99 USD).
- Gilded Shadows is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; When Stars Collide has no Deck rating yet.
Gilded Shadows vs When Stars Collide — FAQ
- Should I play Gilded Shadows or When Stars Collide first?
- If you want chronology, Gilded Shadows (2022) came out before When Stars Collide (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 Gilded Shadows and When Stars Collide similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Simulation 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 When Stars Collide free?
- Yes — When Stars Collide is a free-to-play Steam title. Gilded Shadows is paid (29.99 USD).
- Does Gilded Shadows run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Gilded Shadows is rated Deck Verified by Valve. When Stars Collide doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.