Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era vs Slay the Spire 2
Olden Era revives HOMM3's strategic depth, while Slay the Spire 2 refines a proven deckbuilding formula — pick based on your multiplayer appetite.
Updated 25d ago
Olden Era revives the HOMM3 formula with modern flair, but its PvP-driven balance and single-player wonk make it a wait-for-full-release unless you're multiplayer-bound.
Still the best in its genre — the new multiplayer co-op alone justifies the buy even in early access.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 11; 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 11.
| Measure | Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era | Slay the Spire 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Value Slay the Spire 2 wins on value | ||
| Price now | $29.99 −25% · GreenManGaming | $24.99 Steam |
| All-time low | $27.69 | $24.99 |
| Cost / hour | $2.57/hr $29.99 · 12 h main story | $2.61/hr $24.99 · 10 h main story |
| Off its low | +8% low was May 2026 | At its low low was Mar 2026 |
| Main story | 12 h | 10 h |
| Health Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 87% 23k reviews | 61% 202k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 74% 803 votes · vs 87% lifetime · souring | 73% 4k votes · vs 61% lifetime · improving |
| Peak players | 8,900 Aug 2026 · ↓ 35% MoM | 105,197 Aug 2026 · ↓ 16% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 18% of Mar 2026 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 60,562 May 2026 · now at 15% | 574,638 Mar 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 3 weeks ago | 6 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | 8 in last 90 days | 5 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
The HOMM3-inspired feel hooks veterans—builds feel varied, magic synergies shine, and randomly generated maps keep hundreds of hours fresh.
Balance and load times frustrate long-haul players—AI steamrolls on higher difficulties, templates are a gamble, and crashes mar sessions.
from our August 2026 verdict
Slay the Spire 2
The new four-player co-op hooks even skeptical friends, and regular updates keep the card pool evolving
Ascension 10 balancing draws consistent frustration — brutal enemy scaling and RNG-heavy bosses feel unfair to many
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era if
- You want a HOMM3-style strategy loop with fresh factions
- You mainly play multiplayer versus friends or randoms
- You can forgive Early Access rough edges for that nostalgic high
Pick Slay the Spire 2 if
- You've sunk hours into the original and crave a fresh card pool
- Co-op deck-building with friends sounds better than solo
- You enjoy iterative balance changes and dev feedback
Bottom line
If you're multiplayer-bound and love HOMM3's tactics, pick Olden Era despite its wonky single-player; if you want a refined deckbuilder with co-op, StS2 offers a stronger core — even with its 61% review score and 22% retention.