Choose Shadowlings
Choose Shadowlings if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shadowlings launched in 2018.
Shadowlings vs Curse of the Shadow Samurai
Shadowlings and Curse of the Shadow Samurai 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 Curse of the Shadow Samurai (2023). Shadowlings is free; Curse of the Shadow Samurai is paid (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 Curse of the Shadow Samurai
Choose Curse of the Shadow Samurai if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Curse of the Shadow Samurai launched in 2023.
Both Shadowlings and Curse of the Shadow Samurai 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 |  Curse of the Shadow Samurai | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive (40 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Games From The Deep | SirTotti |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Shadowlings (2018) is 5 years older than Curse of the Shadow Samurai (2023).
- Shadowlings is free; Curse of the Shadow Samurai is paid (4.99 USD).
Shadowlings vs Curse of the Shadow Samurai — FAQ
- Should I play Shadowlings or Curse of the Shadow Samurai first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowlings (2018) came out before Curse of the Shadow Samurai (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 Curse of the Shadow Samurai 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. Curse of the Shadow Samurai is paid (4.99 USD).