Choose Escape the Lab
Choose Escape the Lab if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Escape the Lab launched in 2020.
Escape the Lab vs PlanetariumVR
Escape the Lab and PlanetariumVR both land in Indie, Simulation, 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 Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam. Escape the Lab (2020) is 1 year older than PlanetariumVR (2021). Escape the Lab is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than PlanetariumVR (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). 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 PlanetariumVR
Choose PlanetariumVR if it matches what drew you to this matchup. PlanetariumVR launched in 2021.
Both Escape the Lab and PlanetariumVR sit in Indie, Simulation, and Casual on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Escape the Lab |  PlanetariumVR | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 3 reviews | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Moonleaf studio | hublab |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Escape the Lab (2020) is 1 year older than PlanetariumVR (2021).
- Escape the Lab is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than PlanetariumVR (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Escape the Lab vs PlanetariumVR — FAQ
- Should I play Escape the Lab or PlanetariumVR first?
- If you want chronology, Escape the Lab (2020) came out before PlanetariumVR (2021). 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 Escape the Lab and PlanetariumVR similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, 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.