Choose Rivals of Aether
Choose Rivals of Aether if you want the Steam Leaderboards, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.6% positive across 27,490 reviews.
Rivals of Aether vs SLAYERS FOR HIRE
Rivals of Aether and SLAYERS FOR HIRE 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. Rivals of Aether (2017) is 3 years older than SLAYERS FOR HIRE (2020). Rivals of Aether scores higher on Steam reviews (96.6% positive) than SLAYERS FOR HIRE (92.2% 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 SLAYERS FOR HIRE
Choose SLAYERS FOR HIRE if you want an Action and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. SLAYERS FOR HIRE launched in 2020.
Both Rivals of Aether and SLAYERS FOR HIRE sit in Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP, 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
 Rivals of Aether |  SLAYERS FOR HIRE | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie | Action, Indie, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96.6% positive (27,490 reviews) | 92.2% positive (116 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Aether Studios | Meta Games |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Rivals of Aether (2017) is 3 years older than SLAYERS FOR HIRE (2020).
- Rivals of Aether scores higher on Steam reviews (96.6% positive) than SLAYERS FOR HIRE (92.2% positive).
- SLAYERS FOR HIRE is free; Rivals of Aether is paid (29.99 USD).
- Rivals of Aether has co-op; SLAYERS FOR HIRE does not.
- Rivals of Aether is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; SLAYERS FOR HIRE has no Deck rating yet.
Rivals of Aether vs SLAYERS FOR HIRE — FAQ
- Which is better, Rivals of Aether or SLAYERS FOR HIRE?
- On Steam reviews Rivals of Aether scores higher (96.6% positive) than SLAYERS FOR HIRE (92.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Rivals of Aether is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Rivals of Aether or SLAYERS FOR HIRE first?
- If you want chronology, Rivals of Aether (2017) came out before SLAYERS FOR HIRE (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 Rivals of Aether and SLAYERS FOR HIRE 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.
- Is SLAYERS FOR HIRE free?
- Yes — SLAYERS FOR HIRE is a free-to-play Steam title. Rivals of Aether is paid (29.99 USD).
- Does Rivals of Aether run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Rivals of Aether is rated Deck Verified by Valve. SLAYERS FOR HIRE doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.