IMHO.

First Contact vs The Message from Deep Space

First Contact and The Message from Deep Space 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. First Contact (2020) is 6 years older than The Message from Deep Space (2026). First Contact is currently ~78% cheaper on Steam than The Message from Deep Space (1.99 USD vs. 8.99 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 First Contact

Choose First Contact if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 78% cheaper on the Steam Store. First Contact launched in 2020.

Choose The Message from Deep Space

Choose The Message from Deep Space if you want the Color Alternatives, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Message from Deep Space launched in 2026.

Both First Contact and The Message from Deep Space 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

First Contact vs The Message from Deep Space — Steam metadata comparison
First Contact — Steam game coverFirst ContactThe Message from Deep Space — Steam game coverThe Message from Deep Space
Released20202026
GenresIndie, AdventureIndie
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
Price1.99 USD8.99 USD
Steam reviews6 reviews97.4% positive (701 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersHaguy EisApplesinmypants

Side by side

First Contact vs The Message from Deep Space — FAQ

Should I play First Contact or The Message from Deep Space first?
If you want chronology, First Contact (2020) came out before The Message from Deep Space (2026). 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 First Contact and The Message from Deep Space 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.
First Contact vs The Message from Deep Space (2026) · imho.run