Choose The Iron Oath
Choose The Iron Oath if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Mouse Only Option side of the pairing. The Iron Oath launched in 2023.
The Iron Oath vs Crossroads of Helmia
The Iron Oath and Crossroads of Helmia both land in Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Crossroads of Helmia (2022) is 1 year older than The Iron Oath (2023). Crossroads of Helmia is free; The Iron Oath is paid (24.99 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 Crossroads of Helmia
Choose Crossroads of Helmia if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Crossroads of Helmia launched in 2022.
Both The Iron Oath and Crossroads of Helmia sit in Strategy, Indie, and Adventure 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 Iron Oath |  Crossroads of Helmia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 75.9% positive (617 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Curious Panda Games | Filip Eriksson |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Crossroads of Helmia (2022) is 1 year older than The Iron Oath (2023).
- Crossroads of Helmia is free; The Iron Oath is paid (24.99 USD).
- The Iron Oath is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Crossroads of Helmia has no Deck rating yet.
The Iron Oath vs Crossroads of Helmia — FAQ
- Should I play The Iron Oath or Crossroads of Helmia first?
- If you want chronology, Crossroads of Helmia (2022) came out before The Iron Oath (2023). 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 Iron Oath and Crossroads of Helmia similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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 Crossroads of Helmia free?
- Yes — Crossroads of Helmia is a free-to-play Steam title. The Iron Oath is paid (24.99 USD).
- Does The Iron Oath run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Iron Oath is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Crossroads of Helmia doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.