Choose Specimen 13
Choose Specimen 13 if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Specimen 13 launched in 2020.
Specimen 13 vs The Strange House
Specimen 13 and The Strange House both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Specimen 13 (2020) is 6 years older than The Strange House (2026). Specimen 13 has co-op; The Strange House does not. 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 The Strange House
Choose The Strange House if you want a Strategy game with Stereo Sound and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Strange House launched in 2026.
Both Specimen 13 and The Strange House sit in Action, 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
 Specimen 13 |  The Strange House | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 8.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 5 reviews | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Spire Interactive | RIXE |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Specimen 13 (2020) is 6 years older than The Strange House (2026).
- Specimen 13 has co-op; The Strange House does not.
Specimen 13 vs The Strange House — FAQ
- Should I play Specimen 13 or The Strange House first?
- If you want chronology, Specimen 13 (2020) came out before The Strange House (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 Specimen 13 and The Strange House similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 The Strange House have multiplayer like Specimen 13?
- No. Specimen 13 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while The Strange House is listed as single-player only.