Elden Ring Nightreign vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
A 40-minute co-op roguelike loop versus 35 more hours of curated Souls exploration — both FromSoft, but they demand different friends and patience.
Updated 24d ago
Solo and duos both work now — the launch reviews calling solo a death sentence are a year stale. Still worth $39.99 if you can live with six months of silence.
Best-in-class single-player DLC if you finished base Elden Ring — Land of Shadow rivals a full game, and patch 1.14 tamed Consort Radahn's combos.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 9; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 9.
| Measure | Elden Ring Nightreign | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
|---|---|---|
| Value Elden Ring Nightreign wins on value | ||
| Price now | $34.99 −13% · GameBillet | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $26.37 | $31.49 |
| Cost / hour | $1.25/hr $34.99 · 28 h main story | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story |
| Off its low | +33% low was Dec 2025 | +12% low was Aug 2024 |
| Main story | 28 h | 26 h |
| Health Elden Ring Nightreign wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 82% 191k reviews | 70% 104k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 78% 1k votes · vs 82% lifetime | 53% 200 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 34,386 Aug 2026 · ↓ 16% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| All-time peak | 240,640 Jun 2025 · now at 14% | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 months ago | — |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | — |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | — |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Elden Ring Nightreign if
- You have a regular two friends for voice chat and want 40-minute runs
- You want a FromSoft game that skips build management and lore digging
- You're okay with an 82% review score and no patches in the last 90 days
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You finished base Elden Ring and want 26 more hours of rich world design
- You enjoy opaque progression like Scadutree Fragments and need them before bosses
- You're fine with a 70% review score if it means deep boss fights and exploration
Bottom line
If you have two co-op buddies and an evening, Nightreign is the pick. Otherwise, Shadow of the Erdtree's 26-hour campaign at $1-2 an hour suits solo players who already love Elden Ring.
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