Choose The Hand of Merlin
Choose The Hand of Merlin if it matches what drew you to this matchup. The Hand of Merlin launched in 2022.
The Hand of Merlin vs Trials of Fire
The Hand of Merlin and Trials of Fire both land in Strategy, Indie, 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 Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. Trials of Fire (2021) is 1 year older than The Hand of Merlin (2022). Trials of Fire scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% positive) than The Hand of Merlin (71.7% 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 Trials of Fire
Choose Trials of Fire if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.7% positive across 1,597 reviews.
Both The Hand of Merlin and Trials of Fire sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG 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
 The Hand of Merlin |  Trials of Fire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.7% positive (226 reviews) | 88.7% positive (1,597 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Room-C Games | Whatboy Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Trials of Fire (2021) is 1 year older than The Hand of Merlin (2022).
- Trials of Fire scores higher on Steam reviews (88.7% positive) than The Hand of Merlin (71.7% positive).
- Trials of Fire is currently ~84% cheaper on Steam than The Hand of Merlin (3.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Hand of Merlin vs Trials of Fire — FAQ
- Which is better, The Hand of Merlin or Trials of Fire?
- On Steam reviews Trials of Fire scores higher (88.7% positive) than The Hand of Merlin (71.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Trials of Fire is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Hand of Merlin or Trials of Fire first?
- If you want chronology, Trials of Fire (2021) came out before The Hand of Merlin (2022). 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 The Hand of Merlin and Trials of Fire similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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 The Hand of Merlin and Trials of Fire both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.