Choose The Plane Effect
Choose The Plane Effect if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 81% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Plane Effect launched in 2021.
The Plane Effect vs Closer the Distance
The Plane Effect and Closer the Distance both land in Indie, Casual 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. The Plane Effect (2021) is 3 years older than Closer the Distance (2024). Closer the Distance scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% positive) than The Plane Effect (55.6% 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 Closer the Distance
Choose Closer the Distance if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Closer the Distance launched in 2024.
Both The Plane Effect and Closer the Distance sit in Indie and Casual 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 Plane Effect |  Closer the Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 3.74 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 55.6% positive (18 reviews) | 89.2% positive (139 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Innovina/StudioKiku | Osmotic Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- The Plane Effect (2021) is 3 years older than Closer the Distance (2024).
- Closer the Distance scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% positive) than The Plane Effect (55.6% positive).
- The Plane Effect is currently ~81% cheaper on Steam than Closer the Distance (3.74 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Closer the Distance is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Plane Effect has no Deck rating yet.
The Plane Effect vs Closer the Distance — FAQ
- Should I play The Plane Effect or Closer the Distance first?
- If you want chronology, The Plane Effect (2021) came out before Closer the Distance (2024). 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 Plane Effect and Closer the Distance similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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.