Choose Pentiment
Choose Pentiment if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,985 Steam reviews back the pick.
Pentiment vs Elixir
Pentiment and Elixir 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. Pentiment (2022) is 2 years older than Elixir (2024). Pentiment scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than Elixir (88.9% 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 Elixir
Choose Elixir if you want an Indie and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 35% cheaper on the Steam Store. Elixir launched in 2024.
Both Pentiment and Elixir 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
 Pentiment |  Elixir | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 12.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.7% positive (4,985 reviews) | 88.9% positive (18 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Obsidian Entertainment | Moxu Projects |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Pentiment (2022) is 2 years older than Elixir (2024).
- Pentiment scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than Elixir (88.9% positive).
- Elixir is currently ~35% cheaper on Steam than Pentiment (12.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Pentiment is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Elixir has no Deck rating yet.
Pentiment vs Elixir — FAQ
- Should I play Pentiment or Elixir first?
- If you want chronology, Pentiment (2022) came out before Elixir (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 Pentiment and Elixir 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 Pentiment run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pentiment is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Elixir doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.