Choose Midnight Protocol
Choose Midnight Protocol if you want an Action, Strategy, and Adventure experience. Midnight Protocol launched in 2021.
Midnight Protocol vs Terminal ESC
Midnight Protocol and Terminal ESC both land in Indie 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 Indie games on Steam. Midnight Protocol (2021) is 3 years older than Terminal ESC (2024). Terminal ESC scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Midnight Protocol (85.3% 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 Terminal ESC
Choose Terminal ESC if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Terminal ESC launched in 2024.
Both Midnight Protocol and Terminal ESC sit in Indie 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
 Midnight Protocol |  Terminal ESC | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.3% positive (156 reviews) | 100% positive (18 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LuGus Studios | Alpha Wave Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Midnight Protocol (2021) is 3 years older than Terminal ESC (2024).
- Terminal ESC scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Midnight Protocol (85.3% positive).
- Terminal ESC is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Midnight Protocol (2.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Midnight Protocol vs Terminal ESC — FAQ
- Should I play Midnight Protocol or Terminal ESC first?
- If you want chronology, Midnight Protocol (2021) came out before Terminal ESC (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 Midnight Protocol and Terminal ESC similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.