Choose Absolum
Choose Absolum if you want an Adventure and RPG game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, and Subtitle Options. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.8% positive across 4,194 reviews.
Absolum vs Tears of Metal
Absolum and Tears of Metal both land in Action, 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 share Action, Indie on Steam. Absolum (2025) is 1 year older than Tears of Metal (2026). Absolum scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Tears of Metal (84.5% 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 Tears of Metal
Choose Tears of Metal if you want an Early Access game with DualShock Controller Support and Gamepad Recommended. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,158 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Absolum and Tears of Metal sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, 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
 Absolum |  Tears of Metal | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 18.74 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.8% positive (4,194 reviews) | 84.5% positive (1,158 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks | Paper Cult |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Absolum (2025) is 1 year older than Tears of Metal (2026).
- Absolum scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Tears of Metal (84.5% positive).
- Absolum is currently ~6% cheaper on Steam than Tears of Metal (18.74 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Absolum is Deck Playable, Tears of Metal is Deck Verified.
Absolum vs Tears of Metal — FAQ
- Which is better, Absolum or Tears of Metal?
- On Steam reviews Absolum scores higher (93.8% positive) than Tears of Metal (84.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Absolum is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Absolum or Tears of Metal first?
- If you want chronology, Absolum (2025) came out before Tears of Metal (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 Absolum and Tears of Metal similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Do both Absolum and Tears of Metal have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Absolum ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Tears of Metal ships Online Co-op, Co-op.