Choose Slender: The Arrival
Choose Slender: The Arrival if you want an Action game with Steam Leaderboards. 3,482 Steam reviews back the pick.
Slender: The Arrival vs Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest
Slender: The Arrival and Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Slender: The Arrival (2013) is 11 years older than Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest (2024). Slender: The Arrival scores higher on Steam reviews (86.9% positive) than Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest (50% 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 Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest
Choose Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest if it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest launched in 2024.
Both Slender: The Arrival and Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest sit in 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
 Slender: The Arrival |  Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.9% positive (3,482 reviews) | 50% positive (10 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Blue Isle Studios | BugTeam |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Slender: The Arrival (2013) is 11 years older than Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest (2024).
- Slender: The Arrival scores higher on Steam reviews (86.9% positive) than Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest (50% positive).
- Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Slender: The Arrival (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Slender: The Arrival is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest has no Deck rating yet.
Slender: The Arrival vs Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest — FAQ
- Should I play Slender: The Arrival or Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest first?
- If you want chronology, Slender: The Arrival (2013) came out before Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest (2024). 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 Slender: The Arrival and Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest similar?
- They overlap on 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 Slender: The Arrival run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Slender: The Arrival is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Slenderman: Shadow of the Forest doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.