Choose House of Shadow
Choose House of Shadow if you want an Indie and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. House of Shadow launched in 2023.
House of Shadow vs Derelict Star
House of Shadow and Derelict Star both land in Action, 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, Adventure on Steam. House of Shadow (2023) is 3 years older than Derelict Star (2026). House of Shadow is free; Derelict Star is paid (9.99 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 Derelict Star
Choose Derelict Star if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Derelict Star launched in 2026.
Both House of Shadow and Derelict Star sit in Action and Adventure 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
 House of Shadow |  Derelict Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 6 reviews | 96.7% positive (91 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | High Clarity Games | gate |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- House of Shadow (2023) is 3 years older than Derelict Star (2026).
- House of Shadow is free; Derelict Star is paid (9.99 USD).
- House of Shadow is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Derelict Star has no Deck rating yet.
House of Shadow vs Derelict Star — FAQ
- Should I play House of Shadow or Derelict Star first?
- If you want chronology, House of Shadow (2023) came out before Derelict Star (2026). 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 House of Shadow and Derelict Star similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Is House of Shadow free?
- Yes — House of Shadow is a free-to-play Steam title. Derelict Star is paid (9.99 USD).
- Does House of Shadow run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — House of Shadow is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Derelict Star doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.