Choose Salt
Choose Salt if it's currently about 86% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,503 Steam reviews back the pick.
Salt vs Valheim
Salt and Valheim both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Salt (2018) is 8 years older than Valheim (2026). Valheim scores higher on Steam reviews (93.6% positive) than Salt (75.8% 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 Valheim
Choose Valheim if you want the DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.6% positive across 558,366 reviews.
Both Salt and Valheim sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, 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
 Salt |  Valheim | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 3.74 USD | 26.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.8% positive (1,503 reviews) | 93.6% positive (558,366 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Lavaboots Studios | Iron Gate AB |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Salt (2018) is 8 years older than Valheim (2026).
- Valheim scores higher on Steam reviews (93.6% positive) than Salt (75.8% positive).
- Salt is currently ~86% cheaper on Steam than Valheim (3.74 USD vs. 26.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Valheim is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Salt has no Deck rating yet.
Salt vs Valheim — FAQ
- Which is better, Salt or Valheim?
- On Steam reviews Valheim scores higher (93.6% positive) than Salt (75.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Valheim is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Salt or Valheim first?
- If you want chronology, Salt (2018) came out before Valheim (2026). 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 Salt and Valheim similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Do both Salt and Valheim have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Salt ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Valheim ships Online Co-op, Co-op.