Choose Monster Train
Choose Monster Train if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 12,182 Steam reviews back the pick.
Monster Train vs Journey to the West
Monster Train and Journey to the West both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Monster Train (2020) is 3 years older than Journey to the West (2023). Both sit near 97% positive on Steam (Monster Train: 12,182 reviews, Journey to the West: 40). 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 Journey to the West
Choose Journey to the West if you want an Indie, Adventure, and RPG game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Journey to the West launched in 2023.
Both Monster Train and Journey to the West sit in Strategy on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (96.7% vs 97.5% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Monster Train |  Journey to the West | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.7% positive (12,182 reviews) | 97.5% positive (40 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Shiny Shoe | Z Studio |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Monster Train (2020) is 3 years older than Journey to the West (2023).
- Both sit near 97% positive on Steam (Monster Train: 12,182 reviews, Journey to the West: 40).
- Monster Train is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Journey to the West (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Monster Train is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Journey to the West has no Deck rating yet.
Monster Train vs Journey to the West — FAQ
- Should I play Monster Train or Journey to the West first?
- If you want chronology, Monster Train (2020) came out before Journey to the West (2023). 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 Monster Train and Journey to the West similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.
- Does Journey to the West have multiplayer like Monster Train?
- No. Monster Train supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Journey to the West is listed as single-player only.
- Does Monster Train run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Monster Train is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Journey to the West doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.