Choose Tanglewood
Choose Tanglewood if you want an Indie experience. Tanglewood launched in 2018.
Tanglewood vs Dark rune
Tanglewood and Dark rune both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure on Steam. Tanglewood (2018) is 5 years older than Dark rune (2023). Dark rune is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Tanglewood (9.99 USD vs. 17.99 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 rune
Choose Dark rune if it's currently about 44% cheaper on the Steam Store. Dark rune launched in 2023.
Both Tanglewood and Dark rune sit in Action 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
 Tanglewood |  Dark rune | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 17.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.6% positive (35 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Big Evil Corporation | Joi Max |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Tanglewood (2018) is 5 years older than Dark rune (2023).
- Dark rune is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Tanglewood (9.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
Tanglewood vs Dark rune — FAQ
- Should I play Tanglewood or Dark rune first?
- If you want chronology, Tanglewood (2018) came out before Dark rune (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 Tanglewood and Dark rune similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.