Choose Return of the Phantom
Choose Return of the Phantom if it's currently about 53% cheaper on the Steam Store. Return of the Phantom launched in 2020.
Return of the Phantom vs Expelled!
Return of the Phantom and Expelled! both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Return of the Phantom (2020) is 5 years older than Expelled! (2025). Return of the Phantom scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Expelled! (94.9% 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 Expelled!
Choose Expelled! if you want an Indie and RPG experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Expelled! launched in 2025.
Both Return of the Phantom and Expelled! sit in 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
 Return of the Phantom |  Expelled! | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Adventure | Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 100% positive (28 reviews) | 94.9% positive (177 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | MPS Labs | inkle Ltd |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Return of the Phantom (2020) is 5 years older than Expelled! (2025).
- Return of the Phantom scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Expelled! (94.9% positive).
- Return of the Phantom is currently ~53% cheaper on Steam than Expelled! (6.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Expelled! is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Return of the Phantom has no Deck rating yet.
Return of the Phantom vs Expelled! — FAQ
- Should I play Return of the Phantom or Expelled! first?
- If you want chronology, Return of the Phantom (2020) came out before Expelled! (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 Return of the Phantom and Expelled! similar?
- They overlap on 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.