Choose When The Past Was Around
Choose When The Past Was Around if it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,668 Steam reviews back the pick.
When The Past Was Around vs Cleaning Queens
When The Past Was Around and Cleaning Queens both land in Indie, Adventure, 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, Adventure, Casual on Steam. When The Past Was Around (2020) is 3 years older than Cleaning Queens (2023). When The Past Was Around is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Cleaning Queens (7.99 USD vs. 11.99 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 Cleaning Queens
Choose Cleaning Queens if it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Cleaning Queens launched in 2023.
Both When The Past Was Around and Cleaning Queens sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual 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
 When The Past Was Around |  Cleaning Queens | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (1,668 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mojiken | BRAVEGIANT LTD |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- When The Past Was Around (2020) is 3 years older than Cleaning Queens (2023).
- When The Past Was Around is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Cleaning Queens (7.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- When The Past Was Around is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Cleaning Queens has no Deck rating yet.
When The Past Was Around vs Cleaning Queens — FAQ
- Should I play When The Past Was Around or Cleaning Queens first?
- If you want chronology, When The Past Was Around (2020) came out before Cleaning Queens (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 When The Past Was Around and Cleaning Queens similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, 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.
- Does When The Past Was Around run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — When The Past Was Around is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Cleaning Queens doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.