IMHO.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Painted Legend

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Painted Legend 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. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (2014) is 2 years older than Painted Legend (2016). Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Painted Legend (66.7% 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 Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove if you want the Shared/Split Screen PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 9,963 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Painted Legend

Choose Painted Legend if it's currently about 88% cheaper on the Steam Store. Painted Legend launched in 2016.

Both Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Painted Legend sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, 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

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Painted Legend — Steam metadata comparison
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove — Steam game coverShovel Knight: Treasure TrovePainted Legend — Steam game coverPainted Legend
Released20142016
GenresAction, Indie, AdventureAction, Indie, Adventure
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price39.99 USD4.99 USD
Steam reviews95.7% positive (9,963 reviews)66.7% positive (18 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-opMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op
DevelopersYacht Club GamesStoryan teaM

Side by side

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Painted Legend — FAQ

Should I play Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove or Painted Legend first?
If you want chronology, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (2014) came out before Painted Legend (2016). 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 Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Painted Legend 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.
Do both Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Painted Legend have co-op?
Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Painted Legend ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
Does Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Painted Legend doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Painted Legend (2026) · imho.run