Choose The King's Bird
Choose The King's Bird if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The King's Bird launched in 2018.
The King's Bird vs Dark Runner
The King's Bird and Dark Runner both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie on Steam. The King's Bird (2018) is 3 years older than Dark Runner (2021). Dark Runner is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The King's Bird (4.99 USD vs. 4.99 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 Dark Runner
Choose Dark Runner if you want a Racing game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Dark Runner launched in 2021.
Both The King's Bird and Dark Runner sit in Action and Indie 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 King's Bird |  Dark Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.4% positive (154 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Serenity Forge | Padani Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- The King's Bird (2018) is 3 years older than Dark Runner (2021).
- Dark Runner is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The King's Bird (4.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- The King's Bird is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Dark Runner has no Deck rating yet.
The King's Bird vs Dark Runner — FAQ
- Should I play The King's Bird or Dark Runner first?
- If you want chronology, The King's Bird (2018) came out before Dark Runner (2021). 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 King's Bird and Dark Runner similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Does The King's Bird run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The King's Bird is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Dark Runner doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.