Choose Shadow Puppeteer
Choose Shadow Puppeteer if you want a Free To Play game with Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shadow Puppeteer launched in 2014.
Shadow Puppeteer vs ASTRAL
Shadow Puppeteer and ASTRAL both land in Indie, Adventure 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Shadow Puppeteer (2014) is 4 years older than ASTRAL (2018). Shadow Puppeteer scores higher on Steam reviews (75.2% positive) than ASTRAL (46.7% 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 ASTRAL
Choose ASTRAL if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. ASTRAL launched in 2018.
Both Shadow Puppeteer and ASTRAL sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam, 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
 Shadow Puppeteer |  ASTRAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 8.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.2% positive (109 reviews) | 46.7% positive (30 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Sarepta studio | Hype ProductionZ |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Shadow Puppeteer (2014) is 4 years older than ASTRAL (2018).
- Shadow Puppeteer scores higher on Steam reviews (75.2% positive) than ASTRAL (46.7% positive).
- Shadow Puppeteer is free; ASTRAL is paid (8.99 USD).
Shadow Puppeteer vs ASTRAL — FAQ
- Should I play Shadow Puppeteer or ASTRAL first?
- If you want chronology, Shadow Puppeteer (2014) came out before ASTRAL (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 Shadow Puppeteer and ASTRAL similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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 ASTRAL have multiplayer like Shadow Puppeteer?
- No. Shadow Puppeteer supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while ASTRAL is listed as single-player only.
- Is Shadow Puppeteer free?
- Yes — Shadow Puppeteer is a free-to-play Steam title. ASTRAL is paid (8.99 USD).