Choose I Am Fish
Choose I Am Fish if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. I Am Fish launched in 2021.
I Am Fish vs Octodad (Student Edition)
I Am Fish and Octodad (Student Edition) both land in Adventure, 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 share Adventure, Simulation on Steam. I Am Fish (2021) is 2 years older than Octodad (Student Edition) (2023). Octodad (Student Edition) scores higher on Steam reviews (92.8% positive) than I Am Fish (74.9% 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 Octodad (Student Edition)
Choose Octodad (Student Edition) if you want an Indie and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Octodad (Student Edition) launched in 2023.
Both I Am Fish and Octodad (Student Edition) sit in Adventure and 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
 I Am Fish |  Octodad (Student Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | Adventure, Simulation | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 74.9% positive (984 reviews) | 92.8% positive (97 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bossa Studios | Young Horses: Free Range, Young Horses |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- I Am Fish (2021) is 2 years older than Octodad (Student Edition) (2023).
- Octodad (Student Edition) scores higher on Steam reviews (92.8% positive) than I Am Fish (74.9% positive).
- Octodad (Student Edition) is free; I Am Fish is paid (3.99 USD).
- I Am Fish is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Octodad (Student Edition) has no Deck rating yet.
I Am Fish vs Octodad (Student Edition) — FAQ
- Should I play I Am Fish or Octodad (Student Edition) first?
- If you want chronology, I Am Fish (2021) came out before Octodad (Student Edition) (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 I Am Fish and Octodad (Student Edition) similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, 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.
- Is Octodad (Student Edition) free?
- Yes — Octodad (Student Edition) is a free-to-play Steam title. I Am Fish is paid (3.99 USD).
- Does I Am Fish run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — I Am Fish is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Octodad (Student Edition) doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.