Choose RIFT
Choose RIFT if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 73.6% positive across 7,463 reviews.
RIFT vs Runes of Magic
RIFT and Runes of Magic both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. RIFT (2011) is 7 years older than Runes of Magic (2018). RIFT scores higher on Steam reviews (73.6% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% 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 Runes of Magic
Choose Runes of Magic if it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Runes of Magic launched in 2018.
Both RIFT and Runes of Magic sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, 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
 RIFT |  Runes of Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 73.6% positive (7,463 reviews) | 63.7% positive (617 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | gamigo US Inc. | Runewaker Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- RIFT (2011) is 7 years older than Runes of Magic (2018).
- RIFT scores higher on Steam reviews (73.6% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: RIFT is Deck Unsupported, Runes of Magic is Deck Playable.
RIFT vs Runes of Magic — FAQ
- Which is better, RIFT or Runes of Magic?
- On Steam reviews RIFT scores higher (73.6% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, RIFT is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play RIFT or Runes of Magic first?
- If you want chronology, RIFT (2011) came out before Runes of Magic (2018). 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 RIFT and Runes of Magic similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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 RIFT and Runes of Magic have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: RIFT ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Runes of Magic ships Online Co-op, Co-op.