Choose GUARDS!
Choose GUARDS! if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. GUARDS! launched in 2024.
GUARDS! vs The Bleakest Keep
GUARDS! and The Bleakest Keep 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. GUARDS! (2024) is 1 year older than The Bleakest Keep (2025). The Bleakest Keep scores higher on Steam reviews (90.4% positive) than GUARDS! (69.4% 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 The Bleakest Keep
Choose The Bleakest Keep if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.4% positive across 544 reviews.
Both GUARDS! and The Bleakest Keep sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 GUARDS! |  The Bleakest Keep | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.4% positive (337 reviews) | 90.4% positive (544 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | WYLDERZONE, Lowkey GameDev | Cache of Bones |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- GUARDS! (2024) is 1 year older than The Bleakest Keep (2025).
- The Bleakest Keep scores higher on Steam reviews (90.4% positive) than GUARDS! (69.4% positive).
- The Bleakest Keep is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than GUARDS! (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- GUARDS! has co-op; The Bleakest Keep does not.
- Steam Deck: GUARDS! is Deck Playable, The Bleakest Keep is Deck Verified.
GUARDS! vs The Bleakest Keep — FAQ
- Which is better, GUARDS! or The Bleakest Keep?
- On Steam reviews The Bleakest Keep scores higher (90.4% positive) than GUARDS! (69.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Bleakest Keep is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play GUARDS! or The Bleakest Keep first?
- If you want chronology, GUARDS! (2024) came out before The Bleakest Keep (2025). 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 GUARDS! and The Bleakest Keep 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.
- Does The Bleakest Keep have multiplayer like GUARDS!?
- No. GUARDS! supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while The Bleakest Keep is listed as single-player only.