Choose When The Past Was Around
Choose When The Past Was Around if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,668 Steam reviews back the pick.
When The Past Was Around vs Cave Hikers
When The Past Was Around and Cave Hikers both land in 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 Adventure, Casual on Steam. When The Past Was Around (2020) is 4 years older than Cave Hikers (2024). Cave Hikers scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than When The Past Was Around (95.6% 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 Cave Hikers
Choose Cave Hikers if you want an Action and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Cave Hikers launched in 2024.
Both When The Past Was Around and Cave Hikers sit in 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 |  Cave Hikers | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (1,668 reviews) | 100% positive (17 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mojiken | Studio Spektar, Porcupine Parkour |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- When The Past Was Around (2020) is 4 years older than Cave Hikers (2024).
- Cave Hikers scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than When The Past Was Around (95.6% positive).
- When The Past Was Around is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Cave Hikers (7.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- When The Past Was Around is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Cave Hikers has no Deck rating yet.
When The Past Was Around vs Cave Hikers — FAQ
- Should I play When The Past Was Around or Cave Hikers first?
- If you want chronology, When The Past Was Around (2020) came out before Cave Hikers (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 When The Past Was Around and Cave Hikers similar?
- They overlap on 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. Cave Hikers doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.