Choose Grim Dawn
Choose Grim Dawn if you want an Indie and Adventure game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.1% positive across 39,041 reviews.
Grim Dawn vs Shadows: Awakening
Grim Dawn and Shadows: Awakening both land in Action, 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, RPG on Steam. Grim Dawn (2016) is 2 years older than Shadows: Awakening (2018). Grim Dawn scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shadows: Awakening (78.5% 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 Shadows: Awakening
Choose Shadows: Awakening if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Shadows: Awakening launched in 2018.
Both Grim Dawn and Shadows: Awakening sit in Action and RPG 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
 Grim Dawn |  Shadows: Awakening | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (39,041 reviews) | 78.5% positive (775 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Crate Entertainment | Games Farm |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- Grim Dawn (2016) is 2 years older than Shadows: Awakening (2018).
- Grim Dawn scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shadows: Awakening (78.5% positive).
- Grim Dawn is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Shadows: Awakening (24.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Grim Dawn has co-op; Shadows: Awakening does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Grim Dawn vs Shadows: Awakening — FAQ
- Which is better, Grim Dawn or Shadows: Awakening?
- On Steam reviews Grim Dawn scores higher (95.1% positive) than Shadows: Awakening (78.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Grim Dawn is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Grim Dawn or Shadows: Awakening first?
- If you want chronology, Grim Dawn (2016) came out before Shadows: Awakening (2018). 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 Grim Dawn and Shadows: Awakening similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Does Shadows: Awakening have multiplayer like Grim Dawn?
- No. Grim Dawn supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Shadows: Awakening is listed as single-player only.