Choose Risen
Choose Risen if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 83.8% positive across 2,271 reviews.
Risen vs ELEX
Risen and ELEX both land in RPG 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 RPG games on Steam. Risen (2009) is 8 years older than ELEX (2017). Risen scores higher on Steam reviews (83.8% positive) than ELEX (68.1% 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 ELEX
Choose ELEX if you want an Action and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2017) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 5,121 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Risen and ELEX sit in RPG on Steam, 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
 Risen |  ELEX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2017 |
| Genres | RPG | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.8% positive (2,271 reviews) | 68.1% positive (5,121 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Piranha Bytes, THQ Nordic | Piranha Bytes |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Risen (2009) is 8 years older than ELEX (2017).
- Risen scores higher on Steam reviews (83.8% positive) than ELEX (68.1% positive).
- Risen is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than ELEX (14.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Risen vs ELEX — FAQ
- Which is better, Risen or ELEX?
- On Steam reviews Risen scores higher (83.8% positive) than ELEX (68.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Risen is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Risen or ELEX first?
- If you want chronology, Risen (2009) came out before ELEX (2017). 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 Risen and ELEX similar?
- They overlap on RPG 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.