Choose Hyper Light Drifter
Choose Hyper Light Drifter if you want an Action game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.1% positive across 10,351 reviews.
Hyper Light Drifter vs Return
Hyper Light Drifter and Return both land in Indie, Adventure, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Hyper Light Drifter (2016) is 7 years older than Return (2023). Hyper Light Drifter scores higher on Steam reviews (93.1% positive) than Return (86.8% 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 Return
Choose Return if it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Return launched in 2023.
Both Hyper Light Drifter and Return sit in Indie, Adventure, and RPG 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
 Hyper Light Drifter |  Return | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 15.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.1% positive (10,351 reviews) | 86.8% positive (136 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Heart Machine | Dead Unicorn |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Hyper Light Drifter (2016) is 7 years older than Return (2023).
- Hyper Light Drifter scores higher on Steam reviews (93.1% positive) than Return (86.8% positive).
- Hyper Light Drifter is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than Return (5.99 USD vs. 15.99 USD).
- Hyper Light Drifter has co-op; Return does not.
- Hyper Light Drifter is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Return has no Deck rating yet.
Hyper Light Drifter vs Return — FAQ
- Which is better, Hyper Light Drifter or Return?
- On Steam reviews Hyper Light Drifter scores higher (93.1% positive) than Return (86.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Hyper Light Drifter is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Hyper Light Drifter or Return first?
- If you want chronology, Hyper Light Drifter (2016) came out before Return (2023). 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 Hyper Light Drifter and Return similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, RPG 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 Return have multiplayer like Hyper Light Drifter?
- No. Hyper Light Drifter supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Return is listed as single-player only.
- Does Hyper Light Drifter run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hyper Light Drifter is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Return doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.