Choose Shadowgrounds
Choose Shadowgrounds if you want the Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 95% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shadowgrounds launched in 2006.
Shadowgrounds vs RUINER
Shadowgrounds and RUINER 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 11 years older than RUINER (2017). RUINER scores higher on Steam reviews (90.2% positive) than Shadowgrounds (81.3% 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 RUINER
Choose RUINER if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.2% positive across 4,629 reviews.
Both Shadowgrounds and RUINER sit in Action 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
 Shadowgrounds |  RUINER | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Verified |
| Price | 1.04 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.3% positive (557 reviews) | 90.2% positive (4,629 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frozenbyte | Reikon Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Shadowgrounds (2006) is 11 years older than RUINER (2017).
- RUINER scores higher on Steam reviews (90.2% positive) than Shadowgrounds (81.3% positive).
- Shadowgrounds is currently ~95% cheaper on Steam than RUINER (1.04 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Shadowgrounds is Deck Unsupported, RUINER is Deck Verified.
Shadowgrounds vs RUINER — FAQ
- Which is better, Shadowgrounds or RUINER?
- On Steam reviews RUINER scores higher (90.2% positive) than Shadowgrounds (81.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, RUINER is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Shadowgrounds or RUINER first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowgrounds (2006) came out before RUINER (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 Shadowgrounds and RUINER 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.
- Does RUINER have multiplayer like Shadowgrounds?
- No. Shadowgrounds supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while RUINER is listed as single-player only.