Nine Sols vs Salt and Sanctuary
Nine Sols is an action-adventure platformer game from RedCandleGames (2024) while Salt and Sanctuary is an action-RPG horror game from Ska Studios (2016).
What each one is
Steam files Nine Sols under Action-Adventure and Platformer. In contrast, it files Salt and Sanctuary under Action-RPG and Horror.
Nine Sols is a lore rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer featuring Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat. Embark on a journey of eastern fantasy, explore the land once home to an ancient alien race, and follow a vengeful hero’s quest to slay the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of this forsaken realm.
Explore a haunting, punishing island in this stylized 2D action RPG. Salt and Sanctuary combines fast and brutal 2D combat with richly developed RPG mechanics in a cursed realm of forgotten cities, blood-soaked dungeons, and desecrated monuments.
At a glance
| Nine Sols | Salt and Sanctuary | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.1/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (94%, 45,195) | Very Positive (89%, 21,874) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | 84/100 |
| Price | $29.99 | $17.99 |
| Install size | 15 GB | 2 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2024 | 2016 |
| Developer | RedCandleGames | Ska Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Nine Sols vs Salt and Sanctuary, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Nine SolsAction-adventure platformer gameSalt and SanctuaryAction-RPG horror gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Nine SolsMetroidvania, Souls-like, DifficultSalt and SanctuarySouls-like, Metroidvania, Dark FantasyThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Nine Sols ✓Score 8.1 · 94% on SteamSalt and SanctuaryScore 7.8 · 89% on Steam · 84 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Nine Sols45,195 reviews · 2 add-ons · 15 GBSalt and Sanctuary21,874 reviews · 2 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Nine Sols$29.99Salt and Sanctuary ✓$17.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Nine SolsVerifiedSalt and SanctuaryVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueNine Sols and Salt and Sanctuary on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Nine Sols (GamingPickz Score 8.1)
- The cheaper right now: Salt and Sanctuary ($17.99)
- Lighter on storage: Salt and Sanctuary (2 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Nine Sols (45,195 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
MetroidvaniaSouls-likeDifficultAction2DPlatformerAtmosphericAdventure
Where they differ
Hand-drawnCatsSci-fiMythologyMartial ArtsAction-Adventure
RPGLocal Co-OpDarkAction RPGCo-opSide Scroller
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Nine Sols is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Salt and Sanctuary is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Nine Sols | Salt and Sanctuary | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | Nvidia GTX 950 | DirectX 10 compatible video card with shader model 3.0 support |
| Minimum CPU | AMD Athlon X4 | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 1 GB |
| Install size | 15 GB | 2 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Nine Sols · Salt and Sanctuary.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 6 accessibility features for Nine Sols and 1 for Salt and Sanctuary. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Nine Sols and Salt and Sanctuary in scope?
Nine Sols has drawn 45,195 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 15 GB. Salt and Sanctuary has drawn 21,874 Steam reviews and installs in 2 GB.
Is Nine Sols or Salt and Sanctuary better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Nine Sols rates higher (8.1 to 7.8). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Nine Sols or Salt and Sanctuary?
Salt and Sanctuary is cheaper right now at $17.99, against $29.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.