Choose Skulls of the Shogun
Choose Skulls of the Shogun if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.5% positive across 220 reviews.
Skulls of the Shogun vs The Banner Saga 3
Skulls of the Shogun and The Banner Saga 3 both land in Strategy, Indie 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Skulls of the Shogun (2013) is 5 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018). Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% 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 The Banner Saga 3
Choose The Banner Saga 3 if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,319 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Skulls of the Shogun and The Banner Saga 3 sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Skulls of the Shogun |  The Banner Saga 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.5% positive (220 reviews) | 78.7% positive (1,319 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | 17-BIT | Stoic |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Skulls of the Shogun (2013) is 5 years older than The Banner Saga 3 (2018).
- Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive).
- Skulls of the Shogun is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Banner Saga 3 (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Skulls of the Shogun is Deck Verified, The Banner Saga 3 is Deck Unsupported.
Skulls of the Shogun vs The Banner Saga 3 — FAQ
- Which is better, Skulls of the Shogun or The Banner Saga 3?
- On Steam reviews Skulls of the Shogun scores higher (89.5% positive) than The Banner Saga 3 (78.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Skulls of the Shogun is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Skulls of the Shogun or The Banner Saga 3 first?
- If you want chronology, Skulls of the Shogun (2013) came out before The Banner Saga 3 (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 Skulls of the Shogun and The Banner Saga 3 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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 The Banner Saga 3 have multiplayer like Skulls of the Shogun?
- No. Skulls of the Shogun supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while The Banner Saga 3 is listed as single-player only.