Choose Plains of Pain
Choose Plains of Pain if you want a Simulation and Massively Multiplayer experience. Plains of Pain launched in 2023.
Plains of Pain vs Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion
Plains of Pain and Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Plains of Pain (2023) is 2 years older than Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion (2025). Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Plains of Pain (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion
Choose Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion launched in 2025.
Both Plains of Pain and Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online 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
 Plains of Pain |  Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 84.4% positive (423 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Cobra Byte Digital | Aetherion |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Plains of Pain (2023) is 2 years older than Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion (2025).
- Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Plains of Pain (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Plains of Pain is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion has no Deck rating yet.
Plains of Pain vs Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion — FAQ
- Should I play Plains of Pain or Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion first?
- If you want chronology, Plains of Pain (2023) came out before Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion (2025). 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 Plains of Pain and Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 Plains of Pain and Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Plains of Pain ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.
- Does Plains of Pain run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Plains of Pain is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Ashes of Paradise: Aetherion doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.