Next Run vs Encounter: The Lost Cards
Next Run and Encounter: The Lost Cards both land in Strategy, RPG 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 Strategy, RPG on Steam. Next Run (2025) is 1 year older than Encounter: The Lost Cards (2026). Next Run scores higher on Steam reviews (65.2% positive) than Encounter: The Lost Cards (63.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 Next Run |  Encounter: The Lost Cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, RPG | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 10.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 65.2% positive (23 reviews) | 63.6% positive (11 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Clarus Victoria | Salvatore Grosso |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam.
- Next Run (2025) is 1 year older than Encounter: The Lost Cards (2026).
- Next Run scores higher on Steam reviews (65.2% positive) than Encounter: The Lost Cards (63.6% positive).
- Next Run is currently ~4% cheaper on Steam than Encounter: The Lost Cards (9.99 USD vs. 10.39 USD).
- Next Run is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Encounter: The Lost Cards has no Deck rating yet.
Next Run vs Encounter: The Lost Cards — FAQ
- Should I play Next Run or Encounter: The Lost Cards first?
- If you want chronology, Next Run (2025) came out before Encounter: The Lost Cards (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 Next Run and Encounter: The Lost Cards similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, RPG 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 Next Run run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Next Run is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Encounter: The Lost Cards doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.