Choose Pillars of Eternity
Choose Pillars of Eternity if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 10,642 Steam reviews back the pick.
Pillars of Eternity vs Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Pillars of Eternity and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura both land in RPG 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 RPG games on Steam. Pillars of Eternity (2015) is 1 year older than Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2016). Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (Pillars of Eternity: 10,642 reviews, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: 1,174). 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 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Choose Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,174 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Pillars of Eternity and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura sit in RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (87.2% vs 87.5% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Pillars of Eternity |  Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Genres | RPG | RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.2% positive (10,642 reviews) | 87.5% positive (1,174 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Obsidian Entertainment | Troika Games |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Pillars of Eternity (2015) is 1 year older than Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2016).
- Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (Pillars of Eternity: 10,642 reviews, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: 1,174).
- Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Pillars of Eternity (5.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Pillars of Eternity is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura has no Deck rating yet.
Pillars of Eternity vs Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura — FAQ
- Which is better, Pillars of Eternity or Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Pillars of Eternity sits at 87.2% positive (10,642 reviews), Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura at 87.5% (1,174). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Pillars of Eternity or Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura first?
- If you want chronology, Pillars of Eternity (2015) came out before Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2016). 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 Pillars of Eternity and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura similar?
- They overlap on RPG 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 Pillars of Eternity run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pillars of Eternity is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.