Choose The Ascent
Choose The Ascent if you want a RPG game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 12,117 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Ascent vs Ailment
The Ascent and Ailment 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. Ailment (2019) is 2 years older than The Ascent (2021). Ailment is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than The Ascent (5.99 USD vs. 29.99 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 Ailment
Choose Ailment if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Ailment launched in 2019.
Both The Ascent and Ailment 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
 The Ascent |  Ailment | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.1% positive (12,117 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Neon Giant | Ivan Panasenko |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Ailment (2019) is 2 years older than The Ascent (2021).
- Ailment is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than The Ascent (5.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- The Ascent has co-op; Ailment does not.
- The Ascent is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Ailment has no Deck rating yet.
The Ascent vs Ailment — FAQ
- Should I play The Ascent or Ailment first?
- If you want chronology, Ailment (2019) came out before The Ascent (2021). 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 Ascent and Ailment 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.
- Does Ailment have multiplayer like The Ascent?
- No. The Ascent supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op), while Ailment is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Ascent run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Ascent is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Ailment doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.