Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want an Action and Simulation game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs SHADOW
The Forest and SHADOW both land in Indie, Adventure 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 6 years older than SHADOW (2024). SHADOW is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (4.99 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 SHADOW
Choose SHADOW if it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. SHADOW launched in 2024.
Both The Forest and SHADOW sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 The Forest |  SHADOW | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | PANACHE STUDIOS |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 6 years older than SHADOW (2024).
- SHADOW is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; SHADOW does not.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; SHADOW has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs SHADOW — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or SHADOW first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before SHADOW (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 The Forest and SHADOW similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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 SHADOW have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while SHADOW is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. SHADOW doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.