Choose Handmancers
Choose Handmancers if you want an Indie game with Stereo Sound and Playable without Timed Input. Handmancers launched in 2026.
Handmancers vs 9 Kings
Handmancers and 9 Kings both land in Strategy, RPG, Early Access 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, RPG, Early Access on Steam. 9 Kings (2025) is 1 year older than Handmancers (2026). Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (Handmancers: 79 reviews, 9 Kings: 8,985). 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 9 Kings
Choose 9 Kings if you want the Camera Comfort, Adjustable Difficulty, and Save Anytime side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 8,985 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Handmancers and 9 Kings sit in Strategy, RPG, and Early Access on Steam and both list Custom Volume Controls, Mouse Only Option, and Touch Only Option, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (92.4% vs 93% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Handmancers |  9 Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG, Early Access | Strategy, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.4% positive (79 reviews) | 93% positive (8,985 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | 58BLADES | Sad Socket |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG, Early Access on Steam.
- 9 Kings (2025) is 1 year older than Handmancers (2026).
- Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (Handmancers: 79 reviews, 9 Kings: 8,985).
- 9 Kings is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Handmancers (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Handmancers is Deck Playable, 9 Kings is Deck Verified.
Handmancers vs 9 Kings — FAQ
- Should I play Handmancers or 9 Kings first?
- If you want chronology, 9 Kings (2025) came out before Handmancers (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 Handmancers and 9 Kings similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, RPG, Early Access 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.