Dragonwilds vs Enshrouded

Choose RuneScape: Dragonwilds if you want RuneScape-style skill progression, spells that transform gathering and crafting, and a dragon-focused quest adventure with cross-platform co-op. Choose Enshrouded if your priorities are voxel building and terraforming, gliding and grappling through a fantasy world, or a PC co-op group of up to 16 players.

Both have reached full release: Dragonwilds launched 1.0 on 15 September 2026, and Enshrouded launched 1.0 on 15 October 2026. This comparison uses their current official descriptions and Dragonwilds' 1.0.1 notes, checked on 20 October 2026. It is a feature-based buying guide; the recommendations below describe which systems fit your preferences.

The differences that matter first

These are different reasons to play, rather than a scorecard. If reshaping a mountain into a home is your main goal, Enshrouded's official voxel and terrain features directly address it. If you want your woodcutting, mining and crafting progression to unlock useful magic, Dragonwilds puts that loop at the centre of its design.

Skills and combat: activity progression or a flexible hero

Dragonwilds makes its skills part of both survival and combat. The official Steam description describes abilities and spells earned through individual skill progression, including magic that fells trees, breaks ore veins and gathers fish. Its identity is tied to improving what you do in the world, then using those improvements to change how you perform the activity.

Its combat is also beyond the limited early-access snapshots still circulating in older discussions. The 1.0 launch notes describe parrying, optional follow-up Visceral Attacks, sprint attacks and weapon specials governed by a regenerating Special Attack Bar. 1.0.1 adds a jump-attack perk, distinct shortbow, longbow and crossbow specials, and dedicated Ring and Amulet slots.

Enshrouded's official Steam description emphasizes building a hero through a skill tree: armored melee, ranger and battlemage are examples, with the option to mix those archetypes. This is the clearer fit if your first question is which combat talents to combine into a character.

For the choice itself, prefer Dragonwilds when individual gathering and crafting skills are part of the appeal. Prefer Enshrouded when you want your character's combat identity and talent combinations to lead the experience. Neither description establishes that one game's combat feels better on your controller or that a particular build outperforms the other game.

Building: kits and construction magic versus voxel terrain

Dragonwilds offers themed building pieces, with its launch history documenting additions such as Palisade Walls, a Castle kit and further regional kits. Construction has its own progression and magic. The launch notes also describe the Eye of Oculus upgrade collecting recycled materials when destroying pieces, and the Storage Ledger sorting carried items into linked chests that already contain matching stacks.

That makes it a suitable choice if you want a base to support your gathering, crafting and adventures, with some of that work integrated into skill progression.

Enshrouded gives the more direct answer to an architecture-first brief. Its official website explicitly describes voxel terraforming. The store describes carving homes into mountainsides, changing the terrain and furnishing interiors in detail. Rescued craftspeople and townsfolk also turn a solitary hut into a populated settlement while opening new recipes and gear.

Choose Enshrouded if the ability to change the land itself is a requirement. Choose Dragonwilds if the combination of themed kits, Construction progression and magical crafting support is what interests you. A preference for one building system does not establish a measured limit on how large either game can build or how quickly a large base loads on your hardware.

Exploration and survival

Both games use handcrafted worlds, so the choice is about what you do in those worlds rather than one offering a procedurally generated map.

Dragonwilds sends you through Ashenfall's regions on the path toward the Dragon Queen. Its official launch account includes terrorbird mounts, a flying carpet mount, quests in Fellhollow and Dowdun Reach, and the Scorned Wilderness endgame. Its spells also connect exploration with resource work: travelling to a new material source can unlock a different way to gather or process what you find.

Enshrouded describes itself as a light survival action RPG. Its exploration tools include grappling across gaps, gliding from high ground and diving below water, while the Shroud creates dangerous spaces with their own enemies and materials. The official 1.0 store description also includes hunting, farming and fishing.

Choose Dragonwilds for the RuneScape setting, dragon storyline and magical resource loop. Choose Enshrouded if traversing ruins with a glider and hook, searching underwater and expanding a survivor settlement sounds closer to the adventure you want. Older claims that Enshrouded has no water, or Dragonwilds has no Fishing or Ranged progression, do not describe these current releases.

Multiplayer and crossplay

For friends using different platforms, Dragonwilds has the clearer current advantage. The official launch notes let hosts enable crossplay when loading a world, show those worlds in the browser and support invite codes. Dedicated servers also have a crossplay option. Jagex's launch announcement confirms PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 releases with crossplay across platforms.

Enshrouded advertises up to 16-player PC co-op on its current official Steam store page. That makes its stated group capacity relevant if you are organizing a large shared adventure. However, its 1.0 launch FAQ says cross-platform play was not supported at launch. Keen Games says it is working on the feature but gives no current time estimate.

For a mixed-platform group, choose around the feature available now. For an Enshrouded group, confirm that everyone can join on the supported platform arrangement before buying; a plan for cross-platform play is not a release date. Both games also support solo play if you want to progress without coordinating a group.

Release status, PC requirements and handheld labels

You are choosing between two full releases, rather than an early Dragonwilds build and an older Enshrouded build. Dragonwilds' current update baseline here is 1.0.1, while Enshrouded's store announces its 1.0 release.

The prices above are the regular US Steam listings, before temporary discounts. Check the Dragonwilds store and Enshrouded store for your region and current offer.

Use the requirements to check compatibility, and the Steam Deck labels to understand the stores' current classifications. They do not supply a measured FPS comparison, a battery-life result or proof that one game runs better on every machine.

Choose around the activity you want to repeat

Start with Dragonwilds if the appealing session is improving a skill, unlocking a spell, processing materials into gear and pushing the dragon questline with friends across platforms. Start with Enshrouded if it is shaping terrain, detailing a settlement, experimenting with a hero build and exploring by glider, grapple and diving.

If you already own one, the strongest reason to add the other is one of those specific systems. Shared survival-crafting labels alone do not tell you whether its everyday activities will suit you.

Related guides

• Dragonwilds crossplay setup
• Dragonwilds skill progression
• Dragonwilds dedicated server setup