Choose Skulls of the Shogun
Choose Skulls of the Shogun if you want the Steam Leaderboards and Online 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 Inkulinati
Skulls of the Shogun and Inkulinati 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 11 years older than Inkulinati (2024). Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Inkulinati (86.9% 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 Inkulinati
Choose Inkulinati if you want the Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. Inkulinati launched in 2024.
Both Skulls of the Shogun and Inkulinati sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP, 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 |  Inkulinati | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 7.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.5% positive (220 reviews) | 86.9% positive (306 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | 17-BIT | Yaza Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Skulls of the Shogun (2013) is 11 years older than Inkulinati (2024).
- Skulls of the Shogun scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Inkulinati (86.9% positive).
- Inkulinati is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Skulls of the Shogun (7.49 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Skulls of the Shogun vs Inkulinati — FAQ
- Which is better, Skulls of the Shogun or Inkulinati?
- On Steam reviews Skulls of the Shogun scores higher (89.5% positive) than Inkulinati (86.9% 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 Inkulinati first?
- If you want chronology, Skulls of the Shogun (2013) came out before Inkulinati (2024). 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 Inkulinati 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.
- Do Skulls of the Shogun and Inkulinati both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.