Choose Thief II: The Metal Age
Choose Thief II: The Metal Age if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.8% positive across 1,415 reviews.
Thief II: The Metal Age vs Styx: Master of Shadows
Thief II: The Metal Age and Styx: Master of Shadows both land in Action 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 Action games on Steam. Thief II: The Metal Age (2012) is 2 years older than Styx: Master of Shadows (2014). Thief II: The Metal Age scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Styx: Master of Shadows (82% 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 Styx: Master of Shadows
Choose Styx: Master of Shadows if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,176 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Thief II: The Metal Age and Styx: Master of Shadows sit in Action 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
 Thief II: The Metal Age |  Styx: Master of Shadows | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Verified |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.8% positive (1,415 reviews) | 82% positive (4,176 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Looking Glass Studios | Cyanide Studio |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Thief II: The Metal Age (2012) is 2 years older than Styx: Master of Shadows (2014).
- Thief II: The Metal Age scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Styx: Master of Shadows (82% positive).
- Thief II: The Metal Age is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Styx: Master of Shadows (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Thief II: The Metal Age is Deck Unsupported, Styx: Master of Shadows is Deck Verified.
Thief II: The Metal Age vs Styx: Master of Shadows — FAQ
- Which is better, Thief II: The Metal Age or Styx: Master of Shadows?
- On Steam reviews Thief II: The Metal Age scores higher (94.8% positive) than Styx: Master of Shadows (82% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Thief II: The Metal Age is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Thief II: The Metal Age or Styx: Master of Shadows first?
- If you want chronology, Thief II: The Metal Age (2012) came out before Styx: Master of Shadows (2014). 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 Thief II: The Metal Age and Styx: Master of Shadows similar?
- They overlap on Action 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.