Choose Stranded: Alien Dawn
Choose Stranded: Alien Dawn if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 5,404 Steam reviews back the pick.
Stranded: Alien Dawn vs Once Upon a Time in the Colony
Stranded: Alien Dawn and Once Upon a Time in the Colony both land in Simulation 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 Simulation games on Steam. Once Upon a Time in the Colony (2021) is 2 years older than Stranded: Alien Dawn (2023). Once Upon a Time in the Colony is currently ~71% cheaper on Steam than Stranded: Alien Dawn (4.99 USD vs. 17.49 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 Once Upon a Time in the Colony
Choose Once Upon a Time in the Colony if you want an Action, Indie, and RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 71% cheaper on the Steam Store. Once Upon a Time in the Colony launched in 2021.
Both Stranded: Alien Dawn and Once Upon a Time in the Colony sit in Simulation 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
 Stranded: Alien Dawn |  Once Upon a Time in the Colony | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Action, Indie, Simulation, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 17.49 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.4% positive (5,404 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Haemimont Games | Song Qiang Sheng |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Once Upon a Time in the Colony (2021) is 2 years older than Stranded: Alien Dawn (2023).
- Once Upon a Time in the Colony is currently ~71% cheaper on Steam than Stranded: Alien Dawn (4.99 USD vs. 17.49 USD).
- Stranded: Alien Dawn is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Once Upon a Time in the Colony has no Deck rating yet.
Stranded: Alien Dawn vs Once Upon a Time in the Colony — FAQ
- Should I play Stranded: Alien Dawn or Once Upon a Time in the Colony first?
- If you want chronology, Once Upon a Time in the Colony (2021) came out before Stranded: Alien Dawn (2023). 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 Stranded: Alien Dawn and Once Upon a Time in the Colony similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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 Stranded: Alien Dawn run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Stranded: Alien Dawn is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Once Upon a Time in the Colony doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.