Choose Shift
Choose Shift if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shift launched in 2016.
Shift vs ISLANDERS
Shift and ISLANDERS both land in Strategy, 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 share Strategy, Indie on Steam. Shift (2016) is 3 years older than ISLANDERS (2019). ISLANDERS scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shift (76.7% 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 ISLANDERS
Choose ISLANDERS if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 10,198 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Shift and ISLANDERS sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Shift |  ISLANDERS | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.7% positive (73 reviews) | 95.1% positive (10,198 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Black Lime Studio | Coatsink, GrizzlyGames, Stage Clear Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Shift (2016) is 3 years older than ISLANDERS (2019).
- ISLANDERS scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shift (76.7% positive).
- Shift is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than ISLANDERS (0.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- ISLANDERS is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Shift has no Deck rating yet.
Shift vs ISLANDERS — FAQ
- Should I play Shift or ISLANDERS first?
- If you want chronology, Shift (2016) came out before ISLANDERS (2019). 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 Shift and ISLANDERS similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.