Choose Lords of the Black Sun
Choose Lords of the Black Sun if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 45% cheaper on the Steam Store. Lords of the Black Sun launched in 2014.
Lords of the Black Sun vs Stars in Shadow
Lords of the Black Sun and Stars in Shadow both land in Strategy, Indie 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, Indie on Steam. Lords of the Black Sun (2014) is 3 years older than Stars in Shadow (2017). Stars in Shadow scores higher on Steam reviews (77.2% positive) than Lords of the Black Sun (22.1% 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 Stars in Shadow
Choose Stars in Shadow if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 77.2% positive across 589 reviews.
Both Lords of the Black Sun and Stars in Shadow sit in Strategy and Indie 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
 Lords of the Black Sun |  Stars in Shadow | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.49 USD | 4.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 22.1% positive (263 reviews) | 77.2% positive (589 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Arkavi Studios | Ashdar Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Lords of the Black Sun (2014) is 3 years older than Stars in Shadow (2017).
- Stars in Shadow scores higher on Steam reviews (77.2% positive) than Lords of the Black Sun (22.1% positive).
- Lords of the Black Sun is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than Stars in Shadow (2.49 USD vs. 4.49 USD).
Lords of the Black Sun vs Stars in Shadow — FAQ
- Which is better, Lords of the Black Sun or Stars in Shadow?
- On Steam reviews Stars in Shadow scores higher (77.2% positive) than Lords of the Black Sun (22.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Stars in Shadow is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Lords of the Black Sun or Stars in Shadow first?
- If you want chronology, Lords of the Black Sun (2014) came out before Stars in Shadow (2017). 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 Lords of the Black Sun and Stars in Shadow similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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 Stars in Shadow have multiplayer like Lords of the Black Sun?
- No. Lords of the Black Sun supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Stars in Shadow is listed as single-player only.