Aether Story

VS

The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden

Aether Story is an indie fantasy RPG in development by Phanxgames LLC, described as a multiplayer online RPG. It has limited recognition and marketing, and likely a small, tightly-knit community. As an indie game, especially without any major release or expansion, its daily active players are likely quite low—likely under 500. The game's persistent world and focus on a multiplayer online experience suggest it does meet basic MMO criteria, though on a small scale.

The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden is based on a popular anime/light novel IP and is a gacha strategy RPG published by Crunchyroll Games. The global version launched in late 2022, and while interest was high at launch due to the strong IP attachment, gacha games typically see declining engagement after the first 1–2 years unless they maintain strong event cycles. Public interest and social activity suggest a moderately active but not massive player base. I estimate around 40,000 daily active players globally.