Choose Ashen Empires
Choose Ashen Empires if you want an Adventure and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Ashen Empires launched in 2022.
Ashen Empires vs Valdrys
Ashen Empires and Valdrys both land in Massively Multiplayer, 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 share Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam. Ashen Empires (2022) is 4 years older than Valdrys (2026). Ashen Empires is free; Valdrys is paid (Price unknown). 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 Valdrys
Choose Valdrys if you want an Action, Indie, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Valdrys launched in 2026.
Both Ashen Empires and Valdrys sit in Massively Multiplayer and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 Ashen Empires |  Valdrys | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 75.1% positive (370 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Iron Will Games, LLC | Valdrys Games |
Side by side
- Both share Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam.
- Ashen Empires (2022) is 4 years older than Valdrys (2026).
- Ashen Empires is free; Valdrys is paid (Price unknown).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Ashen Empires is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Valdrys has no Deck rating yet.
Ashen Empires vs Valdrys — FAQ
- Should I play Ashen Empires or Valdrys first?
- If you want chronology, Ashen Empires (2022) came out before Valdrys (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 Ashen Empires and Valdrys similar?
- They overlap on Massively Multiplayer, 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.
- Do both Ashen Empires and Valdrys have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Ashen Empires ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Valdrys ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Ashen Empires free?
- Yes — Ashen Empires is a free-to-play Steam title. Valdrys is paid (Price unknown).
- Does Ashen Empires run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Ashen Empires is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Valdrys doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.