Choose Tales of a Spymaster
Choose Tales of a Spymaster if you want an Action, Indie, and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. Tales of a Spymaster launched in 2019.
Tales of a Spymaster vs Shadow Empire
Tales of a Spymaster and Shadow Empire both land in Strategy, Simulation, 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 share Strategy, Simulation, RPG on Steam. Tales of a Spymaster (2019) is 1 year older than Shadow Empire (2020). Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Tales of a Spymaster (44.4% 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 Shadow Empire
Choose Shadow Empire if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,123 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Tales of a Spymaster and Shadow Empire sit in Strategy, Simulation, and 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
 Tales of a Spymaster |  Shadow Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG, Casual, Early Access | Strategy, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 44.4% positive (18 reviews) | 82.1% positive (1,123 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gerard Morris | VR Designs |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- Tales of a Spymaster (2019) is 1 year older than Shadow Empire (2020).
- Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Tales of a Spymaster (44.4% positive).
- Tales of a Spymaster is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Empire (11.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Shadow Empire has co-op; Tales of a Spymaster does not.
- Shadow Empire is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Tales of a Spymaster has no Deck rating yet.
Tales of a Spymaster vs Shadow Empire — FAQ
- Should I play Tales of a Spymaster or Shadow Empire first?
- If you want chronology, Tales of a Spymaster (2019) came out before Shadow Empire (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 Tales of a Spymaster and Shadow Empire similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation, 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.
- Does Tales of a Spymaster have multiplayer like Shadow Empire?
- No. Shadow Empire supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Tales of a Spymaster is listed as single-player only.