Choose Shadowlings
Choose Shadowlings if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shadowlings launched in 2018.
Shadowlings vs Lawbringer
Shadowlings and Lawbringer 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. Shadowlings (2018) is 5 years older than Lawbringer (2023). Shadowlings scores higher on Steam reviews (90% positive) than Lawbringer (71.4% 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 Lawbringer
Choose Lawbringer if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Lawbringer launched in 2023.
Both Shadowlings and Lawbringer 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
 Shadowlings |  Lawbringer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive (40 reviews) | 71.4% positive (21 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Games From The Deep | Entropic Island |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Shadowlings (2018) is 5 years older than Lawbringer (2023).
- Shadowlings scores higher on Steam reviews (90% positive) than Lawbringer (71.4% positive).
- Shadowlings is free; Lawbringer is paid (3.99 USD).
Shadowlings vs Lawbringer — FAQ
- Should I play Shadowlings or Lawbringer first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowlings (2018) came out before Lawbringer (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 Shadowlings and Lawbringer 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.
- Is Shadowlings free?
- Yes — Shadowlings is a free-to-play Steam title. Lawbringer is paid (3.99 USD).