Choose Duelyst
Choose Duelyst if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 3,201 Steam reviews back the pick.
Duelyst vs Phobies
Duelyst and Phobies both land in Strategy, Indie, Free To Play 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, Indie, Free To Play on Steam. Duelyst (2016) is 6 years older than Phobies (2022). Phobies scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Duelyst (81% 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 Phobies
Choose Phobies if you want the Steam Turn Notifications side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Phobies launched in 2022.
Both Duelyst and Phobies sit in Strategy, Indie, and Free To Play on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (81% vs 82.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Duelyst |  Phobies | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Price unknown | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 81% positive (3,201 reviews) | 82.1% positive (733 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Counterplay Games Inc. | Phobies Holdings Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Free To Play on Steam.
- Duelyst (2016) is 6 years older than Phobies (2022).
- Phobies scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Duelyst (81% positive).
- Phobies is free; Duelyst is paid (Price unknown).
- Phobies is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Duelyst has no Deck rating yet.
Duelyst vs Phobies — FAQ
- Which is better, Duelyst or Phobies?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Duelyst sits at 81% positive (3,201 reviews), Phobies at 82.1% (733). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Duelyst or Phobies first?
- If you want chronology, Duelyst (2016) came out before Phobies (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 Duelyst and Phobies similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Free To Play 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 Phobies free?
- Yes — Phobies is a free-to-play Steam title. Duelyst is paid (Price unknown).