Choose Shadowgrounds
Choose Shadowgrounds if you want the Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. Shadowgrounds launched in 2006.
Shadowgrounds vs Shot In The Dark
Shadowgrounds and Shot In The Dark 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. Shadowgrounds (2006) is 9 years older than Shot In The Dark (2015). Shadowgrounds scores higher on Steam reviews (81.3% positive) than Shot In The Dark (44.8% 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 Shot In The Dark
Choose Shot In The Dark if you want an Indie, Free To Play, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shot In The Dark launched in 2015.
Both Shadowgrounds and Shot In The Dark sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Shadowgrounds |  Shot In The Dark | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2015 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie, Free To Play, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 81.3% positive (557 reviews) | 44.8% positive (87 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Frozenbyte | Technomancy Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Shadowgrounds (2006) is 9 years older than Shot In The Dark (2015).
- Shadowgrounds scores higher on Steam reviews (81.3% positive) than Shot In The Dark (44.8% positive).
- Shot In The Dark is free; Shadowgrounds is paid (6.99 USD).
- Shadowgrounds is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Shot In The Dark has no Deck rating yet.
Shadowgrounds vs Shot In The Dark — FAQ
- Should I play Shadowgrounds or Shot In The Dark first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowgrounds (2006) came out before Shot In The Dark (2015). 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 Shadowgrounds and Shot In The Dark 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.
- Is Shot In The Dark free?
- Yes — Shot In The Dark is a free-to-play Steam title. Shadowgrounds is paid (6.99 USD).