Choose Black Desert
Choose Black Desert if you want an Action and Strategy experience. 35,523 Steam reviews back the pick.
Black Desert vs The Magic Land
Black Desert and The Magic Land both land in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, 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 Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam. Black Desert (2017) is 7 years older than The Magic Land (2024). Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than The Magic Land (28.6% 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 The Magic Land
Choose The Magic Land if you want an Indie and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Magic Land launched in 2024.
Both Black Desert and The Magic Land sit in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 Black Desert |  The Magic Land | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 72.5% positive (35,523 reviews) | 28.6% positive (21 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Pearl Abyss | Racs Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam.
- Black Desert (2017) is 7 years older than The Magic Land (2024).
- Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than The Magic Land (28.6% positive).
- The Magic Land is free; Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Black Desert is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; The Magic Land has no Deck rating yet.
Black Desert vs The Magic Land — FAQ
- Should I play Black Desert or The Magic Land first?
- If you want chronology, Black Desert (2017) came out before The Magic Land (2024). 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 Black Desert and The Magic Land similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, 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.
- Do both Black Desert and The Magic Land have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Black Desert ships Online Co-op, Co-op; The Magic Land ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is The Magic Land free?
- Yes — The Magic Land is a free-to-play Steam title. Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).