Choose Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Choose Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.9% positive across 244 reviews.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment vs OUTBUDDIES DX
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and OUTBUDDIES DX both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017) is 2 years older than OUTBUDDIES DX (2019). Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than OUTBUDDIES DX (66.1% 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 OUTBUDDIES DX
Choose OUTBUDDIES DX if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. OUTBUDDIES DX launched in 2019.
Both Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and OUTBUDDIES DX sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment |  OUTBUDDIES DX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 17.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.9% positive (244 reviews) | 66.1% positive (112 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Yacht Club Games | Julian Laufer |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017) is 2 years older than OUTBUDDIES DX (2019).
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than OUTBUDDIES DX (66.1% positive).
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than OUTBUDDIES DX (9.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
- OUTBUDDIES DX has co-op; Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment does not.
- Steam Deck: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is Deck Playable, OUTBUDDIES DX is Deck Verified.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment vs OUTBUDDIES DX — FAQ
- Which is better, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment or OUTBUDDIES DX?
- On Steam reviews Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment scores higher (93.9% positive) than OUTBUDDIES DX (66.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment or OUTBUDDIES DX first?
- If you want chronology, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017) came out before OUTBUDDIES DX (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 Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and OUTBUDDIES DX similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment have multiplayer like OUTBUDDIES DX?
- No. OUTBUDDIES DX supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is listed as single-player only.