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Plains of PainVSZelter

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

Plains of Pain

Plains of Pain

Massively MultiplayerRPGAdventureEarly AccessActionSimulationIndie
Quality
67Popularity
23Value
88
SteamBetter Deal· Steam
Historical Low!
Ends in≈28d
-50% $9.99
Buy Now
VS
Zelter

Zelter

ActionIndieEarly AccessAdventure
Quality
44Popularity
26Value
74
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
-59% $8.27
Buy Now

Too Close to Call

These games are very evenly matched across all metrics

7
Plains of Pain
7 of 14 metrics
Zelter
7 of 14 metrics
7

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$9.99 -
$8.27 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
$15.99 -
$8.06 Wins
Best Current Discount
-50% -
-59% Wins
Sales Frequency
11 price changes -
58 price changes Wins
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Steam Review Score
83.5% positive Wins
47.9% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
727 -
1.7K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
607 -
829 Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
120 Wins
903 -
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
92 Wins
1 -
Steam Recommendations
710 -
1.7K Wins
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
4 Wins
0 -
Supported Languages
12 languages Wins
10 languages -
Release Date
Feb 2023 Wins
Oct 2020 -
GameValio Recommendation
MaybePlains of Pain

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

Wait for SaleZelter

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

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
Plains of Pain
Zelter

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

Plains of Pain

Plains of Pain

1 Store
Steam
Steam -50% $9.99Buy Now
Zelter

Zelter

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -59% $8.27Buy Now
Steam
Steam +142% $19.99View

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

Plains of Pain

Quality

Splits opinions — likely to click if you're already a genre fan.

83% positive (723 reviews) — mostly positive
723 reviews — decent but potentially skewed

Value

Great timing to buy — competitive price for the content offered.

$9.99 — very accessible price
50% off — solid discount
All-time low price — rare opportunity

Popularity

Lost much of its active player base — community is quiet.

Player count surging +496%
143 concurrent players — smaller but active

Zelter

Quality

Serious issues affecting many players' experiences.

48% positive (1,732 reviews) — mostly negative
1,732 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

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

$8.27 — very accessible price
59% off — solid discount
Near historical low ($7.66)

Popularity

Low popularity — few active players and little community discussion.

1 concurrent players — niche audience

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsPlains of PainZelter
Release Date
February 17, 2023
October 22, 2020
Developers
Cobra Byte Digital
G1 Playground
Publishers
Cobra Byte Digital
SuperGG.com
Platforms
Windows
Windows
Achievements
4

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

Plains of Pain

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 980 / AMD R9 Fury
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 7 GB available space

Zelter

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i7 Skylake or equivalent
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Nvidia GTX 860
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 4 GB available space

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Plains of Pain or Zelter?

Plains of Pain and Zelter are extremely close, with nearly identical results across all metrics. Both are excellent choices.

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 Plains of Pain worth buying over Zelter?

Based on the metrics, Too Close to Call 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. Plains of Pain currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 4, 2026, 05:00 PM 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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