Choose RETNE
Choose RETNE if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. RETNE launched in 2017.
RETNE vs Essence of Illumination: The Beginning
RETNE and Essence of Illumination: The Beginning both land in Adventure, RPG, Casual 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 Adventure, RPG, Casual on Steam. RETNE (2017) is 3 years older than Essence of Illumination: The Beginning (2020). RETNE is free; Essence of Illumination: The Beginning is paid (0.99 USD). 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 Essence of Illumination: The Beginning
Choose Essence of Illumination: The Beginning if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Essence of Illumination: The Beginning launched in 2020.
Both RETNE and Essence of Illumination: The Beginning sit in Adventure, RPG, and Casual on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 RETNE |  Essence of Illumination: The Beginning | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Adventure, RPG, Free To Play, Casual | Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.3% positive (32 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | VRNI Ltd, Kainos | Luminous4D, LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, RPG, Casual on Steam.
- RETNE (2017) is 3 years older than Essence of Illumination: The Beginning (2020).
- RETNE is free; Essence of Illumination: The Beginning is paid (0.99 USD).
- RETNE is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Essence of Illumination: The Beginning has no Deck rating yet.
RETNE vs Essence of Illumination: The Beginning — FAQ
- Should I play RETNE or Essence of Illumination: The Beginning first?
- If you want chronology, RETNE (2017) came out before Essence of Illumination: The Beginning (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 RETNE and Essence of Illumination: The Beginning similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, RPG, Casual 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.
- Is RETNE free?
- Yes — RETNE is a free-to-play Steam title. Essence of Illumination: The Beginning is paid (0.99 USD).