Choose Magic Duels
Choose Magic Duels if you want a Free To Play game with Shared/Split Screen and Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 79.3% positive across 651 reviews.
Magic Duels vs Artifact
Magic Duels and Artifact both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Magic Duels (2015) is 3 years older than Artifact (2018). Magic Duels scores higher on Steam reviews (79.3% positive) than Artifact (57.9% 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 Artifact
Choose Artifact if you want the Online PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 9,748 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Magic Duels and Artifact sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Magic Duels |  Artifact | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Free To Play | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Price unknown | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 79.3% positive (651 reviews) | 57.9% positive (9,748 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Stainless Games Ltd. | Valve |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Magic Duels (2015) is 3 years older than Artifact (2018).
- Magic Duels scores higher on Steam reviews (79.3% positive) than Artifact (57.9% positive).
- Artifact is free; Magic Duels is paid (Price unknown).
- Magic Duels has co-op; Artifact does not.
- Steam Deck: Magic Duels is Deck Unsupported, Artifact is Deck Playable.
Magic Duels vs Artifact — FAQ
- Which is better, Magic Duels or Artifact?
- On Steam reviews Magic Duels scores higher (79.3% positive) than Artifact (57.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Magic Duels is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Magic Duels or Artifact first?
- If you want chronology, Magic Duels (2015) came out before Artifact (2018). 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 Magic Duels and Artifact similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 Artifact free?
- Yes — Artifact is a free-to-play Steam title. Magic Duels is paid (Price unknown).