Choose Styx: Master of Shadows
Choose Styx: Master of Shadows if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82% positive across 4,176 reviews.
Styx: Master of Shadows vs Kristala
Styx: Master of Shadows and Kristala 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 12 years older than Kristala (2026). Styx: Master of Shadows scores higher on Steam reviews (82% positive) than Kristala (72.8% 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 Kristala
Choose Kristala if you want an Indie, Adventure, and RPG experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Kristala launched in 2026.
Both Styx: Master of Shadows and Kristala 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 |  Kristala | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82% positive (4,176 reviews) | 72.8% positive (268 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cyanide Studio | Astral Clocktower Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Styx: Master of Shadows (2014) is 12 years older than Kristala (2026).
- Styx: Master of Shadows scores higher on Steam reviews (82% positive) than Kristala (72.8% positive).
- Styx: Master of Shadows is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Kristala (19.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Styx: Master of Shadows is Deck Verified, Kristala is Deck Unsupported.
Styx: Master of Shadows vs Kristala — FAQ
- Which is better, Styx: Master of Shadows or Kristala?
- On Steam reviews Styx: Master of Shadows scores higher (82% positive) than Kristala (72.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Styx: Master of Shadows is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Styx: Master of Shadows or Kristala first?
- If you want chronology, Styx: Master of Shadows (2014) came out before Kristala (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 Styx: Master of Shadows and Kristala 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.