Choose Spectromancer
Choose Spectromancer if you want an Indie game with LAN PvP. Spectromancer launched in 2009.
Spectromancer vs Shards of Infinity
Spectromancer and Shards of Infinity both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Spectromancer (2009) is 10 years older than Shards of Infinity (2019). Both sit near 86% positive on Steam (Spectromancer: 206 reviews, Shards of Infinity: 116). 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 Shards of Infinity
Choose Shards of Infinity if you want the Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shards of Infinity launched in 2019.
Both Spectromancer and Shards of Infinity sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (85.9% vs 85.3% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Spectromancer |  Shards of Infinity | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 5.59 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.9% positive (206 reviews) | 85.3% positive (116 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Apus Software, Three Donkeys LLC | Temple Gates Games |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Spectromancer (2009) is 10 years older than Shards of Infinity (2019).
- Both sit near 86% positive on Steam (Spectromancer: 206 reviews, Shards of Infinity: 116).
- Shards of Infinity is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Spectromancer (5.59 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Spectromancer vs Shards of Infinity — FAQ
- Which is better, Spectromancer or Shards of Infinity?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Spectromancer sits at 85.9% positive (206 reviews), Shards of Infinity at 85.3% (116). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Spectromancer or Shards of Infinity first?
- If you want chronology, Spectromancer (2009) came out before Shards of Infinity (2019). 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 Spectromancer and Shards of Infinity similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.