Choose The Backrooms Game FREE Edition
Choose The Backrooms Game FREE Edition if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 2,300 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Backrooms Game FREE Edition vs CRUELTY
The Backrooms Game FREE Edition and CRUELTY both land in Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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 Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam. The Backrooms Game FREE Edition (2019) is 5 years older than CRUELTY (2024). The Backrooms Game FREE Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (82.2% positive) than CRUELTY (77.1% positive). 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 CRUELTY
Choose CRUELTY if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. CRUELTY launched in 2024.
Both The Backrooms Game FREE Edition and CRUELTY sit in Indie, Adventure, and Simulation on Steam, 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
 The Backrooms Game FREE Edition |  CRUELTY | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.2% positive (2,300 reviews) | 77.1% positive (48 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Pie On A Plate Productions | 838s Maniacs |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- The Backrooms Game FREE Edition (2019) is 5 years older than CRUELTY (2024).
- The Backrooms Game FREE Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (82.2% positive) than CRUELTY (77.1% positive).
- The Backrooms Game FREE Edition is free; CRUELTY is paid (6.99 USD).
- The Backrooms Game FREE Edition is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; CRUELTY has no Deck rating yet.
The Backrooms Game FREE Edition vs CRUELTY — FAQ
- Should I play The Backrooms Game FREE Edition or CRUELTY first?
- If you want chronology, The Backrooms Game FREE Edition (2019) came out before CRUELTY (2024). 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 The Backrooms Game FREE Edition and CRUELTY similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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.
- Is The Backrooms Game FREE Edition free?
- Yes — The Backrooms Game FREE Edition is a free-to-play Steam title. CRUELTY is paid (6.99 USD).
- Does The Backrooms Game FREE Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Backrooms Game FREE Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. CRUELTY doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.