Choose Kenshi
Choose Kenshi if you want an Action and Simulation experience. 46,830 Steam reviews back the pick.
Kenshi vs Five Elements
Kenshi and Five Elements both land in Strategy, Indie, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Five Elements (2017) is 1 year older than Kenshi (2018). Kenshi scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Five Elements (71.4% 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 Five Elements
Choose Five Elements if it's currently about 83% cheaper on the Steam Store. Five Elements launched in 2017.
Both Kenshi and Five Elements sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG 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
 Kenshi |  Five Elements | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (46,830 reviews) | 71.4% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Lo-Fi Games | TaosX |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Five Elements (2017) is 1 year older than Kenshi (2018).
- Kenshi scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Five Elements (71.4% positive).
- Five Elements is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Kenshi (4.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Kenshi is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Five Elements has no Deck rating yet.
Kenshi vs Five Elements — FAQ
- Should I play Kenshi or Five Elements first?
- If you want chronology, Five Elements (2017) came out before Kenshi (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 Kenshi and Five Elements similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, RPG 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 Kenshi run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Kenshi is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Five Elements doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.