Choose Runes of Magic
Choose Runes of Magic if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Runes of Magic launched in 2018.
Runes of Magic vs Soul Guardians
Runes of Magic and Soul Guardians both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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 Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. Runes of Magic (2018) is 5 years older than Soul Guardians (2023). Soul Guardians scores higher on Steam reviews (82.2% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% 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 Soul Guardians
Choose Soul Guardians if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.2% positive across 129 reviews.
Both Runes of Magic and Soul Guardians sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 Runes of Magic |  Soul Guardians | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 63.7% positive (617 reviews) | 82.2% positive (129 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Runewaker Entertainment | PICTOLOGI |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Runes of Magic (2018) is 5 years older than Soul Guardians (2023).
- Soul Guardians scores higher on Steam reviews (82.2% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
- Runes of Magic is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Soul Guardians has no Deck rating yet.
Runes of Magic vs Soul Guardians — FAQ
- Which is better, Runes of Magic or Soul Guardians?
- On Steam reviews Soul Guardians scores higher (82.2% positive) than Runes of Magic (63.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Soul Guardians is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Runes of Magic or Soul Guardians first?
- If you want chronology, Runes of Magic (2018) came out before Soul Guardians (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 Runes of Magic and Soul Guardians similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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.
- Do both Runes of Magic and Soul Guardians have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Runes of Magic ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Soul Guardians ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Runes of Magic run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Runes of Magic is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Soul Guardians doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.