Choose Avernum 2: Crystal Souls
Choose Avernum 2: Crystal Souls if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Avernum 2: Crystal Souls launched in 2015.
Avernum 2: Crystal Souls vs Geneforge 1 - Mutagen
Avernum 2: Crystal Souls and Geneforge 1 - Mutagen both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015) is 6 years older than Geneforge 1 - Mutagen (2021). Geneforge 1 - Mutagen scores higher on Steam reviews (93.6% positive) than Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (92.5% 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 Geneforge 1 - Mutagen
Choose Geneforge 1 - Mutagen if it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Geneforge 1 - Mutagen launched in 2021.
Both Avernum 2: Crystal Souls and Geneforge 1 - Mutagen sit in Strategy, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (92.5% vs 93.6% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Avernum 2: Crystal Souls |  Geneforge 1 - Mutagen | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.5% positive (201 reviews) | 93.6% positive (327 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Spiderweb Software | Spiderweb Software |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015) is 6 years older than Geneforge 1 - Mutagen (2021).
- Geneforge 1 - Mutagen scores higher on Steam reviews (93.6% positive) than Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (92.5% positive).
- Avernum 2: Crystal Souls is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Geneforge 1 - Mutagen (5.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Avernum 2: Crystal Souls vs Geneforge 1 - Mutagen — FAQ
- Which is better, Avernum 2: Crystal Souls or Geneforge 1 - Mutagen?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Avernum 2: Crystal Souls sits at 92.5% positive (201 reviews), Geneforge 1 - Mutagen at 93.6% (327). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Avernum 2: Crystal Souls or Geneforge 1 - Mutagen first?
- If you want chronology, Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015) came out before Geneforge 1 - Mutagen (2021). 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 Avernum 2: Crystal Souls and Geneforge 1 - Mutagen similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.