Choose Ethereal Rift
Choose Ethereal Rift if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Ethereal Rift launched in 2023.
Ethereal Rift vs Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors
Ethereal Rift and Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors both land in Action, Indie, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Ethereal Rift (2023) is 1 year older than Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors (2024). Ethereal Rift is free; Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is paid (6.99 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 Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors
Choose Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors launched in 2024.
Both Ethereal Rift and Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors sit in Action, Indie, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Ethereal Rift |  Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Indie, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 6 reviews | 59.4% positive (404 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Jack Vanderkolk | BKOM Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Ethereal Rift (2023) is 1 year older than Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors (2024).
- Ethereal Rift is free; Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is paid (6.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Ethereal Rift is Deck Playable, Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is Deck Verified.
Ethereal Rift vs Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors — FAQ
- Should I play Ethereal Rift or Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors first?
- If you want chronology, Ethereal Rift (2023) came out before Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors (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 Ethereal Rift and Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, RPG 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 Ethereal Rift and Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Ethereal Rift ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Ethereal Rift free?
- Yes — Ethereal Rift is a free-to-play Steam title. Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is paid (6.99 USD).