Choose Trove
Choose Trove if you want a Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, and Casual game with MMO, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 42,276 Steam reviews back the pick.
Trove vs Portal Knights
Trove and Portal Knights both land in Action, Adventure, 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 share Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam. Trove (2015) is 2 years older than Portal Knights (2017). Portal Knights scores higher on Steam reviews (83.6% positive) than Trove (76.9% 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 Portal Knights
Choose Portal Knights if you want the Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 83.6% positive across 4,796 reviews.
Both Trove and Portal Knights sit in Action, Adventure, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player 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
 Trove |  Portal Knights | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.9% positive (42,276 reviews) | 83.6% positive (4,796 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | gamigo US Inc. | Keen Games GmbH |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Trove (2015) is 2 years older than Portal Knights (2017).
- Portal Knights scores higher on Steam reviews (83.6% positive) than Trove (76.9% positive).
- Trove is free; Portal Knights is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Trove vs Portal Knights — FAQ
- Which is better, Trove or Portal Knights?
- On Steam reviews Portal Knights scores higher (83.6% positive) than Trove (76.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Portal Knights is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Trove or Portal Knights first?
- If you want chronology, Trove (2015) came out before Portal Knights (2017). 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 Trove and Portal Knights similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, 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.
- Do both Trove and Portal Knights have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Trove ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Portal Knights ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Trove free?
- Yes — Trove is a free-to-play Steam title. Portal Knights is paid (19.99 USD).