Choose Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Choose Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment launched in 2017.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment vs Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and Shovel Knight: King of Cards 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 Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019). Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than Shovel Knight: King of Cards (90.1% 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 Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Choose Shovel Knight: King of Cards if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Shovel Knight: King of Cards launched in 2019.
Both Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and Shovel Knight: King of Cards 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 |  Shovel Knight: King of Cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.9% positive (244 reviews) | 90.1% positive (71 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Yacht Club Games | Yacht Club Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017) is 2 years older than Shovel Knight: King of Cards (2019).
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than Shovel Knight: King of Cards (90.1% positive).
- Shovel Knight: King of Cards is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment vs Shovel Knight: King of Cards — FAQ
- Should I play Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment or Shovel Knight: King of Cards first?
- If you want chronology, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (2017) came out before Shovel Knight: King of Cards (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 Shovel Knight: King of Cards 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.