Choose Iron Crypticle
Choose Iron Crypticle if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Iron Crypticle launched in 2017.
Iron Crypticle vs Retromancer
Iron Crypticle and Retromancer both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie on Steam. Iron Crypticle (2017) is 2 years older than Retromancer (2019). Retromancer is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Iron Crypticle (2.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). 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 Retromancer
Choose Retromancer if it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. Retromancer launched in 2019.
Both Iron Crypticle and Retromancer sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and 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
 Iron Crypticle |  Retromancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.7% positive (73 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Confused Pelican | Spinfoam Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Iron Crypticle (2017) is 2 years older than Retromancer (2019).
- Retromancer is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Iron Crypticle (2.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Iron Crypticle is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Retromancer has no Deck rating yet.
Iron Crypticle vs Retromancer — FAQ
- Should I play Iron Crypticle or Retromancer first?
- If you want chronology, Iron Crypticle (2017) came out before Retromancer (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 Iron Crypticle and Retromancer similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Do both Iron Crypticle and Retromancer have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Iron Crypticle ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Retromancer ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Iron Crypticle run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Iron Crypticle is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Retromancer doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.