Choose Salt and Sanctuary
Choose Salt and Sanctuary if you want a RPG game with Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 7,119 Steam reviews back the pick.
Salt and Sanctuary vs STERN
Salt and Sanctuary and STERN both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Salt and Sanctuary (2016) is 6 years older than STERN (2022). STERN is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Salt and Sanctuary (9.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD). 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 STERN
Choose STERN if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 44% cheaper on the Steam Store. STERN launched in 2022.
Both Salt and Sanctuary and STERN sit in Action and Indie 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
 Salt and Sanctuary |  STERN | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 17.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.1% positive (7,119 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ska Studios | StoneBlade |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Salt and Sanctuary (2016) is 6 years older than STERN (2022).
- STERN is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Salt and Sanctuary (9.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
- Salt and Sanctuary is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; STERN has no Deck rating yet.
Salt and Sanctuary vs STERN — FAQ
- Should I play Salt and Sanctuary or STERN first?
- If you want chronology, Salt and Sanctuary (2016) came out before STERN (2022). 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 Salt and Sanctuary and STERN similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 STERN have multiplayer like Salt and Sanctuary?
- No. Salt and Sanctuary supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while STERN is listed as single-player only.
- Does Salt and Sanctuary run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Salt and Sanctuary is rated Deck Verified by Valve. STERN doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.