Choose Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade
Choose Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade if you want an Indie experience. Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade launched in 2018.
Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade vs Tales of Astel
Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade and Tales of Astel both land in RPG 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 are RPG games on Steam. Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade (2018) is 8 years older than Tales of Astel (2026). Tales of Astel is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade (6.99 USD vs. 9.99 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 Tales of Astel
Choose Tales of Astel if you want an Early Access game with Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Keyboard Only Option. On Steam, it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. Tales of Astel launched in 2026.
Both Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade and Tales of Astel sit in RPG 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
 Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade |  Tales of Astel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, RPG | RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.3% positive (90 reviews) | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | ONEONE1 | Zetlaff |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade (2018) is 8 years older than Tales of Astel (2026).
- Tales of Astel is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade (6.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Tales of Astel has no Deck rating yet.
Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade vs Tales of Astel — FAQ
- Should I play Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade or Tales of Astel first?
- If you want chronology, Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade (2018) came out before Tales of Astel (2026). 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 Meritocracy of the Oni & Blade and Tales of Astel similar?
- They overlap on RPG 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.