Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Shadows of Kurgansk
The Forest and Shadows of Kurgansk both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Shadows of Kurgansk (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Shadows of Kurgansk (49.1% 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 Shadows of Kurgansk
Choose Shadows of Kurgansk if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shadows of Kurgansk launched in 2016.
Both The Forest and Shadows of Kurgansk sit in Action, 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 |  Shadows of Kurgansk | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 49.1% positive (53 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Yadon Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Shadows of Kurgansk (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Shadows of Kurgansk (49.1% positive).
- Shadows of Kurgansk is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Shadows of Kurgansk does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Forest vs Shadows of Kurgansk — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Shadows of Kurgansk first?
- If you want chronology, Shadows of Kurgansk (2016) came out before The Forest (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 The Forest and Shadows of Kurgansk similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Shadows of Kurgansk have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Shadows of Kurgansk is listed as single-player only.