Choose Tragedy of Prince Rupert
Choose Tragedy of Prince Rupert if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. Tragedy of Prince Rupert launched in 2017.
Tragedy of Prince Rupert vs Bartlow's Dread Machine
Tragedy of Prince Rupert and Bartlow's Dread Machine both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Tragedy of Prince Rupert (2017) is 3 years older than Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020). Tragedy of Prince Rupert scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Bartlow's Dread Machine (80% 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 Bartlow's Dread Machine
Choose Bartlow's Dread Machine if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Bartlow's Dread Machine launched in 2020.
Both Tragedy of Prince Rupert and Bartlow's Dread Machine sit in Action 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
 Tragedy of Prince Rupert |  Bartlow's Dread Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.6% positive (27 reviews) | 80% positive (15 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Spytihněv | Beep Games, Inc., Tribetoy |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Tragedy of Prince Rupert (2017) is 3 years older than Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020).
- Tragedy of Prince Rupert scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Bartlow's Dread Machine (80% positive).
- Tragedy of Prince Rupert is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Bartlow's Dread Machine (3.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Bartlow's Dread Machine has co-op; Tragedy of Prince Rupert does not.
- Bartlow's Dread Machine is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Tragedy of Prince Rupert has no Deck rating yet.
Tragedy of Prince Rupert vs Bartlow's Dread Machine — FAQ
- Should I play Tragedy of Prince Rupert or Bartlow's Dread Machine first?
- If you want chronology, Tragedy of Prince Rupert (2017) came out before Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020). 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 Tragedy of Prince Rupert and Bartlow's Dread Machine similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Tragedy of Prince Rupert have multiplayer like Bartlow's Dread Machine?
- No. Bartlow's Dread Machine supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Tragedy of Prince Rupert is listed as single-player only.