Choose ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree
Choose ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree if it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree launched in 2023.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree vs The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown both land in Action, Indie, 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (2021) is 2 years older than ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree (2023). The Vale: Shadow of the Crown scores higher on Steam reviews (97.3% positive) than ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree (91.5% 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 The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
Choose The Vale: Shadow of the Crown if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Surround Sound side of the pairing. The Vale: Shadow of the Crown launched in 2021.
Both ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown sit in Action, Indie, 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
 ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree |  The Vale: Shadow of the Crown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.5% positive (47 reviews) | 97.3% positive (263 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Wildboy Studios | Falling Squirrel, Creative Bytes Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (2021) is 2 years older than ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree (2023).
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown scores higher on Steam reviews (97.3% positive) than ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree (91.5% positive).
- ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree vs The Vale: Shadow of the Crown — FAQ
- Should I play ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree or The Vale: Shadow of the Crown first?
- If you want chronology, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (2021) came out before ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree (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 ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Do ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.