Choose The Rise of the Golden Idol
Choose The Rise of the Golden Idol if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 2,412 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Rise of the Golden Idol vs Mystery of the Malign
The Rise of the Golden Idol and Mystery of the Malign 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. The Rise of the Golden Idol (2024) is 1 year older than Mystery of the Malign (2025). The Rise of the Golden Idol scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Mystery of the Malign (92.9% 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 Mystery of the Malign
Choose Mystery of the Malign if it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. Mystery of the Malign launched in 2025.
Both The Rise of the Golden Idol and Mystery of the Malign 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
 The Rise of the Golden Idol |  Mystery of the Malign | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (2,412 reviews) | 92.9% positive (70 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Color Gray Games | Gameplay Supremacy |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Rise of the Golden Idol (2024) is 1 year older than Mystery of the Malign (2025).
- The Rise of the Golden Idol scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Mystery of the Malign (92.9% positive).
- Mystery of the Malign is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than The Rise of the Golden Idol (13.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Rise of the Golden Idol is Deck Verified, Mystery of the Malign is Deck Playable.
The Rise of the Golden Idol vs Mystery of the Malign — FAQ
- Should I play The Rise of the Golden Idol or Mystery of the Malign first?
- If you want chronology, The Rise of the Golden Idol (2024) came out before Mystery of the Malign (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 The Rise of the Golden Idol and Mystery of the Malign 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.