Choose Shardlight
Choose Shardlight if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Shardlight launched in 2016.
Shardlight vs Eselmir and the five magical gifts
Shardlight and Eselmir and the five magical gifts 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. Shardlight (2016) is 2 years older than Eselmir and the five magical gifts (2018). Shardlight scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Eselmir and the five magical gifts (68.2% 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 Eselmir and the five magical gifts
Choose Eselmir and the five magical gifts if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Eselmir and the five magical gifts launched in 2018.
Both Shardlight and Eselmir and the five magical gifts 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
 Shardlight |  Eselmir and the five magical gifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.5% positive (534 reviews) | 68.2% positive (22 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Wadjet Eye Games | Stelex Software |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Shardlight (2016) is 2 years older than Eselmir and the five magical gifts (2018).
- Shardlight scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Eselmir and the five magical gifts (68.2% positive).
- Eselmir and the five magical gifts is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Shardlight (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Shardlight is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Eselmir and the five magical gifts has no Deck rating yet.
Shardlight vs Eselmir and the five magical gifts — FAQ
- Should I play Shardlight or Eselmir and the five magical gifts first?
- If you want chronology, Shardlight (2016) came out before Eselmir and the five magical gifts (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 Shardlight and Eselmir and the five magical gifts 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 Shardlight run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Shardlight is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Eselmir and the five magical gifts doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.