Choose Ancient Frontier
Choose Ancient Frontier if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Ancient Frontier launched in 2017.
Ancient Frontier vs Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows
Ancient Frontier and Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Ancient Frontier (2017) is 1 year older than Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows (2018). Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows scores higher on Steam reviews (68% positive) than Ancient Frontier (63.3% 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 Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows
Choose Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows launched in 2018.
Both Ancient Frontier and Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input, 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
 Ancient Frontier |  Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 63.3% positive (98 reviews) | 68% positive (25 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Fair Weather Studios | Fair Weather Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Ancient Frontier (2017) is 1 year older than Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows (2018).
- Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows scores higher on Steam reviews (68% positive) than Ancient Frontier (63.3% positive).
- Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Ancient Frontier (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
Ancient Frontier vs Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows — FAQ
- Should I play Ancient Frontier or Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows first?
- If you want chronology, Ancient Frontier (2017) came out before Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows (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 Ancient Frontier and Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.