Choose Dead Cells
Choose Dead Cells if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 43,598 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dead Cells vs Rift Keeper
Dead Cells and Rift Keeper 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. Dead Cells (2018) is 1 year older than Rift Keeper (2019). Dead Cells scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Rift Keeper (36.4% 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 Rift Keeper
Choose Rift Keeper if you want a RPG game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Rift Keeper launched in 2019.
Both Dead Cells and Rift Keeper sit in Action and Indie 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
 Dead Cells |  Rift Keeper | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.4% positive (43,598 reviews) | 36.4% positive (11 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Motion Twin | Frymore |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Dead Cells (2018) is 1 year older than Rift Keeper (2019).
- Dead Cells scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Rift Keeper (36.4% positive).
- Rift Keeper is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Dead Cells (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Dead Cells is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Rift Keeper has no Deck rating yet.
Dead Cells vs Rift Keeper — FAQ
- Should I play Dead Cells or Rift Keeper first?
- If you want chronology, Dead Cells (2018) came out before Rift Keeper (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 Dead Cells and Rift Keeper 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.
- Does Dead Cells run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dead Cells is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Rift Keeper doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.