Choose Shadow Blade: Reload
Choose Shadow Blade: Reload if you want an Indie experience. Shadow Blade: Reload launched in 2015.
Shadow Blade: Reload vs Exception
Shadow Blade: Reload and Exception both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Shadow Blade: Reload (2015) is 4 years older than Exception (2019). Exception scores higher on Steam reviews (89.7% positive) than Shadow Blade: Reload (86.5% 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 Exception
Choose Exception if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Exception launched in 2019.
Both Shadow Blade: Reload and Exception sit in Action on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Shadow Blade: Reload |  Exception | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 86.5% positive (89 reviews) | 89.7% positive (29 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dead Mage | Traxmaster Software |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Shadow Blade: Reload (2015) is 4 years older than Exception (2019).
- Exception scores higher on Steam reviews (89.7% positive) than Shadow Blade: Reload (86.5% positive).
- Exception is free; Shadow Blade: Reload is paid (9.99 USD).
- Exception is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Shadow Blade: Reload has no Deck rating yet.
Shadow Blade: Reload vs Exception — FAQ
- Should I play Shadow Blade: Reload or Exception first?
- If you want chronology, Shadow Blade: Reload (2015) came out before Exception (2019). 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 Shadow Blade: Reload and Exception similar?
- They overlap on Action 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.
- Is Exception free?
- Yes — Exception is a free-to-play Steam title. Shadow Blade: Reload is paid (9.99 USD).