IMHO.

Shot In The Dark vs BadLads

Shot In The Dark and BadLads both land in Action, Indie, Early Access 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, Early Access on Steam. Shot In The Dark (2015) is 5 years older than BadLads (2020). BadLads scores higher on Steam reviews (69.7% positive) than Shot In The Dark (44.8% 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 Shot In The Dark

Choose Shot In The Dark if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shot In The Dark launched in 2015.

Choose BadLads

Choose BadLads if you want a Strategy, Adventure, and Simulation game with MMO, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. BadLads launched in 2020.

Both Shot In The Dark and BadLads sit in Action, Indie, and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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

Shot In The Dark vs BadLads — Steam metadata comparison
Shot In The Dark — Steam game coverShot In The DarkBadLads — Steam game coverBadLads
Released20152020
GenresAction, Indie, Free To Play, Early AccessAction, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Casual, Early Access
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
PriceFree to playPrice unknown
Steam reviews44.8% positive (87 reviews)69.7% positive (99 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerMulti-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
DevelopersTechnomancy StudiosCHEMICAL HEADS STUDIOS

Side by side

Shot In The Dark vs BadLads — FAQ

Should I play Shot In The Dark or BadLads first?
If you want chronology, Shot In The Dark (2015) came out before BadLads (2020). 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 Shot In The Dark and BadLads similar?
They overlap on Action, Indie, Early Access 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.
Is Shot In The Dark free?
Yes — Shot In The Dark is a free-to-play Steam title. BadLads is paid (Price unknown).
Shot In The Dark vs BadLads — Verdict (2026) · imho.run