Choose Rivals of Aether
Choose Rivals of Aether if you want the Steam Leaderboards and Online PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 27,490 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rivals of Aether vs Shield Shock
Rivals of Aether and Shield Shock 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 Shield Shock (2020). Shield Shock is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Rivals of Aether (4.99 USD vs. 29.99 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 Shield Shock
Choose Shield Shock if you want an Action and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 83% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shield Shock launched in 2020.
Both Rivals of Aether and Shield Shock sit in Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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 |  Shield Shock | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.6% positive (27,490 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Aether Studios | Reece Geofroy |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Rivals of Aether (2017) is 3 years older than Shield Shock (2020).
- Shield Shock is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Rivals of Aether (4.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Rivals of Aether is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shield Shock has no Deck rating yet.
Rivals of Aether vs Shield Shock — FAQ
- Should I play Rivals of Aether or Shield Shock first?
- If you want chronology, Rivals of Aether (2017) came out before Shield Shock (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 Shield Shock 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.
- Do both Rivals of Aether and Shield Shock have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rivals of Aether ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Shield Shock ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Rivals of Aether run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Rivals of Aether is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Shield Shock doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.