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HeartboundVSRakuen

Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.

Heartbound

Heartbound

ActionIndieEarly AccessAdventureRPG
Quality
48Popularity
56Value
50
SteamBetter Deal· Steam
$9.99
Buy Now
VS
Rakuen

Rakuen

Quality
92Popularity
30Value
66
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
Ends in≈3d
-36% $9.54
Buy Now

Winner

Rakuen wins the comparison based on the metrics. Takes 13 of 15 head-to-head metrics.

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

2
Heartbound
2 of 15 metrics
Rakuen
13 of 15 metrics
13

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
N/A -
$9.54 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
N/A -
$6.94 Wins
Best Current Discount
No discount -
-36% Wins
Sales Frequency
0 price changes -
14 price changes Wins
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
N/A -
84/100 Wins
Steam Review Score
53.3% positive -
96.5% positive Wins
Total Steam Reviews
3.2K -
4.7K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
1.7K -
4.5K Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
1.5K -
166 Wins
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
0 -
1 Wins
Steam Recommendations
3.2K -
4.7K Wins
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
31 Wins
15 -
Supported Languages
6 languages -
13 languages Wins
Release Date
Dec 2018 Wins
May 2017 -
GameValio Recommendation
Wait for SaleHeartbound

Not the best time to jump in. Prices tend to drop, and this one hasn't hit its sweet spot yet.

MaybeRakuen

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
Heartbound
Rakuen

Player Count Trends

— Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

— Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

Heartbound

Heartbound

1 Store
Steam
Steam$9.99Buy Now
Rakuen

Rakuen

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -36% $9.54Buy Now
Steam
Steam +57% $14.99View

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

Heartbound

Quality

Significant issues reported — proceed with caution and research.

53% positive (3,241 reviews) — mixed opinions
3,241 reviews — solid data foundation

Rakuen

Quality

Consistent high ratings show real quality, not just hype.

96% positive (4,683 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 84/100 — high marks from professional reviewers
4,683 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Average price — a good time if there's an active discount.

$9.54 — very accessible price
36% off — decent discount
Historical low: $6.94 — room for better deals

Popularity

Low popularity — few active players and little community discussion.

-100% player drop

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsHeartboundRakuen
Release Date
December 24, 2018
May 10, 2017
Developers
Pirate Software
Laura Shigihara
Publishers
Pirate Software
Laura Shigihara
Platforms
Linux, Windows
Linux, Windows, MacOs
Achievements
31
15

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

Heartbound

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

Rakuen

No PC requirements data available

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Heartbound or Rakuen?

Rakuen won the comparison against Heartbound based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is Heartbound worth buying over Rakuen?

Based on the metrics, Rakuen won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Rakuen currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 11, 2026, 11:46 AM UTC

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Disclaimer

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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