Choose A Highland Song
Choose A Highland Song if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. A Highland Song launched in 2023.
A Highland Song vs Upstream
A Highland Song and Upstream both land in Indie, Adventure 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 on Steam. A Highland Song (2023) is 2 years older than Upstream (2025). Upstream scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than A Highland Song (87.6% 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 Upstream
Choose Upstream if you want a Casual game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 56% cheaper on the Steam Store. Upstream launched in 2025.
Both A Highland Song and Upstream sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 A Highland Song |  Upstream | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 17.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.6% positive (386 reviews) | 100% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | inkle Ltd | Gllama Games |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- A Highland Song (2023) is 2 years older than Upstream (2025).
- Upstream scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than A Highland Song (87.6% positive).
- Upstream is currently ~56% cheaper on Steam than A Highland Song (7.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
- A Highland Song is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Upstream has no Deck rating yet.
A Highland Song vs Upstream — FAQ
- Should I play A Highland Song or Upstream first?
- If you want chronology, A Highland Song (2023) came out before Upstream (2025). 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 A Highland Song and Upstream similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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 A Highland Song run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — A Highland Song is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Upstream doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.