IMHO.

Blackguards vs It Stares Back

Blackguards and It Stares Back both land in Action, 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 Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Blackguards (2014) is 5 years older than It Stares Back (2019). It Stares Back scores higher on Steam reviews (90.5% positive) than Blackguards (59.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Side-by-side comparison

Blackguards vs It Stares Back — Steam metadata comparison
Blackguards — Steam game coverBlackguardsIt Stares Back — Steam game coverIt Stares Back
Released20142019
GenresAction, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPGAction, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price9.99 USD9.99 USD
Steam reviews59.2% positive (1,271 reviews)90.5% positive (63 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersDaedalic EntertainmentLight Arc Studio Ltd

Side by side

Blackguards vs It Stares Back — FAQ

Should I play Blackguards or It Stares Back first?
If you want chronology, Blackguards (2014) came out before It Stares Back (2019). 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 Blackguards and It Stares Back similar?
They overlap on Action, 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 Blackguards run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Blackguards is rated Deck Playable by Valve. It Stares Back doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Blackguards vs It Stares Back — comparison & verdict · imho.run