Choose Staff Only
Choose Staff Only if you want an Early Access experience. Staff Only launched in 2020.
Staff Only vs The Simulacrum
Staff Only and The Simulacrum both land in Indie 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 Indie games on Steam. Staff Only (2020) is 3 years older than The Simulacrum (2023). The Simulacrum is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Staff Only (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 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 The Simulacrum
Choose The Simulacrum if you want a Strategy and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Simulacrum launched in 2023.
Both Staff Only and The Simulacrum sit in Indie 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
 Staff Only |  The Simulacrum | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Early Access | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 7 reviews | 88.9% positive (108 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Exilland | Trynet Games |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Staff Only (2020) is 3 years older than The Simulacrum (2023).
- The Simulacrum is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Staff Only (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- The Simulacrum is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Staff Only has no Deck rating yet.
Staff Only vs The Simulacrum — FAQ
- Should I play Staff Only or The Simulacrum first?
- If you want chronology, Staff Only (2020) came out before The Simulacrum (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 Staff Only and The Simulacrum similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.