IMHO.

Slay the Spire vs Iconia Defenders

Slay the Spire and Iconia Defenders both land in Strategy, Indie 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 on Steam. Slay the Spire (2019) is 5 years older than Iconia Defenders (2024). Iconia Defenders is currently ~4% cheaper on Steam than Slay the Spire (5.99 USD vs. 6.24 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 Slay the Spire

Choose Slay the Spire if you want the Adjustable Text Size, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 75,305 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Iconia Defenders

Choose Iconia Defenders if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Iconia Defenders launched in 2024.

Both Slay the Spire and Iconia Defenders sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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

Slay the Spire vs Iconia Defenders — Steam metadata comparison
Slay the Spire — Steam game coverSlay the SpireIconia Defenders — Steam game coverIconia Defenders
Released20192024
GenresStrategy, IndieStrategy, Indie, Casual
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Playable
Price6.24 USD5.99 USD
Steam reviews97.5% positive (75,305 reviews)7 reviews
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersMega CritAnawim Studios

Side by side

Slay the Spire vs Iconia Defenders — FAQ

Should I play Slay the Spire or Iconia Defenders first?
If you want chronology, Slay the Spire (2019) came out before Iconia Defenders (2024). 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 Slay the Spire and Iconia Defenders similar?
They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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.
Slay the Spire vs Iconia Defenders — Verdict (2026) · imho.run