Choose Struggling
Choose Struggling if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Struggling launched in 2020.
Struggling vs Panic Hospital
Struggling and Panic Hospital both land in Action, Indie, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam. Struggling (2020) is 7 years older than Panic Hospital (2027). Both support cooperative play. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Panic Hospital
Choose Panic Hospital if you want a Strategy and Simulation game with Online Co-op, DualShock Controller Support, and DualSense Controller Support. On Steam, it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Panic Hospital launched in 2027.
Both Struggling and Panic Hospital sit in Action, Indie, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Struggling |  Panic Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2027 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (211 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Chasing Rats Games | System D Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Struggling (2020) is 7 years older than Panic Hospital (2027).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Struggling is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Panic Hospital has no Deck rating yet.
Struggling vs Panic Hospital — FAQ
- Should I play Struggling or Panic Hospital first?
- If you want chronology, Struggling (2020) came out before Panic Hospital (2027). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Struggling and Panic Hospital similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Struggling and Panic Hospital have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Struggling ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Panic Hospital ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.
- Does Struggling run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Struggling is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Panic Hospital doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.