Choose Styx: Master of Shadows
Choose Styx: Master of Shadows if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,176 Steam reviews back the pick.
Styx: Master of Shadows vs Shadowy Contracts
Styx: Master of Shadows and Shadowy Contracts both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Styx: Master of Shadows (2014) is 6 years older than Shadowy Contracts (2020). Shadowy Contracts is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Styx: Master of Shadows (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Shadowy Contracts
Choose Shadowy Contracts if you want an Indie and RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shadowy Contracts launched in 2020.
Both Styx: Master of Shadows and Shadowy Contracts sit in Action 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
 Styx: Master of Shadows |  Shadowy Contracts | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82% positive (4,176 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cyanide Studio | ExiledThunder Productions |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Styx: Master of Shadows (2014) is 6 years older than Shadowy Contracts (2020).
- Shadowy Contracts is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Styx: Master of Shadows (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Styx: Master of Shadows is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shadowy Contracts has no Deck rating yet.
Styx: Master of Shadows vs Shadowy Contracts — FAQ
- Should I play Styx: Master of Shadows or Shadowy Contracts first?
- If you want chronology, Styx: Master of Shadows (2014) came out before Shadowy Contracts (2020). 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 Styx: Master of Shadows and Shadowy Contracts similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Styx: Master of Shadows run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Styx: Master of Shadows is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shadowy Contracts doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.