Choose Pandora: First Contact
Choose Pandora: First Contact if you want the Online PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. Pandora: First Contact launched in 2014.
Pandora: First Contact vs Shadow Empire
Pandora: First Contact and Shadow Empire both land in Strategy, Simulation 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 Strategy, Simulation on Steam. Pandora: First Contact (2014) is 6 years older than Shadow Empire (2020). Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Pandora: First Contact (63.3% 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 Shadow Empire
Choose Shadow Empire if you want a RPG game with Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.1% positive across 1,123 reviews.
Both Pandora: First Contact and Shadow Empire sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, PvP, and Co-op, 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
 Pandora: First Contact |  Shadow Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 63.3% positive (420 reviews) | 82.1% positive (1,123 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Proxy Studios | VR Designs |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Pandora: First Contact (2014) is 6 years older than Shadow Empire (2020).
- Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Pandora: First Contact (63.3% positive).
- Pandora: First Contact is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Empire (29.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Shadow Empire is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Pandora: First Contact has no Deck rating yet.
Pandora: First Contact vs Shadow Empire — FAQ
- Which is better, Pandora: First Contact or Shadow Empire?
- On Steam reviews Shadow Empire scores higher (82.1% positive) than Pandora: First Contact (63.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Shadow Empire is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Pandora: First Contact or Shadow Empire first?
- If you want chronology, Pandora: First Contact (2014) came out before Shadow Empire (2020). 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 Pandora: First Contact and Shadow Empire similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation 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.
- Do both Pandora: First Contact and Shadow Empire have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Pandora: First Contact ships Co-op; Shadow Empire ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.