Choose Age of Wonders Shadow Magic
Choose Age of Wonders Shadow Magic if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 349 reviews.
Age of Wonders Shadow Magic vs Age of Wonders III
Age of Wonders Shadow Magic and Age of Wonders III both land in Strategy, 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, RPG on Steam. Age of Wonders Shadow Magic (2010) is 4 years older than Age of Wonders III (2014). Age of Wonders Shadow Magic scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% 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 Age of Wonders III
Choose Age of Wonders III if you want the Shared/Split Screen and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2014) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 4,560 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Age of Wonders Shadow Magic and Age of Wonders III sit in Strategy and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Age of Wonders Shadow Magic |  Age of Wonders III | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Genres | Strategy, RPG | Strategy, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (349 reviews) | 82.1% positive (4,560 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op |
| Developers | Triumph Studios | Triumph Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam.
- Age of Wonders Shadow Magic (2010) is 4 years older than Age of Wonders III (2014).
- Age of Wonders Shadow Magic scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% positive).
- Age of Wonders Shadow Magic is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Age of Wonders III (9.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Age of Wonders III has co-op; Age of Wonders Shadow Magic does not.
- Steam Deck: Age of Wonders Shadow Magic is Deck Unsupported, Age of Wonders III is Deck Playable.
Age of Wonders Shadow Magic vs Age of Wonders III — FAQ
- Which is better, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic or Age of Wonders III?
- On Steam reviews Age of Wonders Shadow Magic scores higher (88.8% positive) than Age of Wonders III (82.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Age of Wonders Shadow Magic or Age of Wonders III first?
- If you want chronology, Age of Wonders Shadow Magic (2010) came out before Age of Wonders III (2014). 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 Age of Wonders Shadow Magic and Age of Wonders III similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.