Choose Shards of Order
Choose Shards of Order if you want a Strategy, Adventure, and RPG game with DualShock Controller Support and DualSense Controller Support. Shards of Order launched in 2026.
Shards of Order vs Return to ...
Shards of Order and Return to ... both land in Indie 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 Indie games on Steam. Return to ... (2025) is 1 year older than Shards of Order (2026). Return to ... is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Shards of Order (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). 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 Return to ...
Choose Return to ... if you want an Early Access game with Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input. Return to ... launched in 2025.
Both Shards of Order and Return to ... sit in Indie 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
 Shards of Order |  Return to ... | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Fardust | kupstudio |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Return to ... (2025) is 1 year older than Shards of Order (2026).
- Return to ... is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Shards of Order (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Shards of Order vs Return to ... — FAQ
- Should I play Shards of Order or Return to ... first?
- If you want chronology, Return to ... (2025) came out before Shards of Order (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 Shards of Order and Return to ... similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.