Choose The Darkside Detective
Choose The Darkside Detective if you want a Casual game with Camera Comfort and Playable without Timed Input. 1,987 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Darkside Detective vs Shadows of the Afterland
The Darkside Detective and Shadows of the Afterland 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. The Darkside Detective (2017) is 9 years older than Shadows of the Afterland (2026). Shadows of the Afterland scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than The Darkside Detective (94.2% 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 Shadows of the Afterland
Choose Shadows of the Afterland if you want the Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Shadows of the Afterland launched in 2026.
Both The Darkside Detective and Shadows of the Afterland sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Custom Volume Controls, Mouse Only Option, and Save Anytime, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (94.2% vs 95.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Darkside Detective |  Shadows of the Afterland | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.2% positive (1,987 reviews) | 95.7% positive (69 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Spooky Doorway | Aruma Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Darkside Detective (2017) is 9 years older than Shadows of the Afterland (2026).
- Shadows of the Afterland scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than The Darkside Detective (94.2% positive).
- Shadows of the Afterland is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The Darkside Detective (14.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Darkside Detective vs Shadows of the Afterland — FAQ
- Should I play The Darkside Detective or Shadows of the Afterland first?
- If you want chronology, The Darkside Detective (2017) came out before Shadows of the Afterland (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 The Darkside Detective and Shadows of the Afterland 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.
- Do The Darkside Detective and Shadows of the Afterland both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.