Choose The Tartarus Key
Choose The Tartarus Key if you want the Subtitle Options, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. The Tartarus Key launched in 2023.
The Tartarus Key vs Wait: The Patient
The Tartarus Key and Wait: The Patient 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. The Tartarus Key (2023) is 2 years older than Wait: The Patient (2025). Wait: The Patient is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Tartarus Key (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Wait: The Patient
Choose Wait: The Patient if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Wait: The Patient launched in 2025.
Both The Tartarus Key and Wait: The Patient 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
 The Tartarus Key |  Wait: The Patient | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.4% positive (195 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vertical Reach | rest.less Games |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- The Tartarus Key (2023) is 2 years older than Wait: The Patient (2025).
- Wait: The Patient is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Tartarus Key (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
The Tartarus Key vs Wait: The Patient — FAQ
- Should I play The Tartarus Key or Wait: The Patient first?
- If you want chronology, The Tartarus Key (2023) came out before Wait: The Patient (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 The Tartarus Key and Wait: The Patient 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.