Choose The Shapeshifting Detective
Choose The Shapeshifting Detective if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.1% positive across 414 reviews.
The Shapeshifting Detective vs The Complex
The Shapeshifting Detective and The Complex both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. The Shapeshifting Detective (2018) is 2 years older than The Complex (2020). The Shapeshifting Detective scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than The Complex (77.2% 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 Complex
Choose The Complex if it matches what drew you to this matchup. The Complex launched in 2020.
Both The Shapeshifting Detective and The Complex sit in 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
 The Shapeshifting Detective |  The Complex | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 2.54 USD | 3.44 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (414 reviews) | 77.2% positive (935 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | D'Avekki Studios Ltd, Wales Interactive | Wales Interactive, Good Gate Media, Little Jade Productions |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- The Shapeshifting Detective (2018) is 2 years older than The Complex (2020).
- The Shapeshifting Detective scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than The Complex (77.2% positive).
- The Shapeshifting Detective is currently ~26% cheaper on Steam than The Complex (2.54 USD vs. 3.44 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Shapeshifting Detective vs The Complex — FAQ
- Which is better, The Shapeshifting Detective or The Complex?
- On Steam reviews The Shapeshifting Detective scores higher (82.1% positive) than The Complex (77.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Shapeshifting Detective is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Shapeshifting Detective or The Complex first?
- If you want chronology, The Shapeshifting Detective (2018) came out before The Complex (2020). 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 The Shapeshifting Detective and The Complex similar?
- They overlap on 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 The Shapeshifting Detective and The Complex 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.