Choose Open Roads
Choose Open Roads if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Open Roads launched in 2024.
Open Roads vs The Empty Desk
Open Roads and The Empty Desk both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Open Roads (2024) is 1 year older than The Empty Desk (2025). The Empty Desk is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than Open Roads (8.49 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 The Empty Desk
Choose The Empty Desk if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 58% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Empty Desk launched in 2025.
Both Open Roads and The Empty Desk sit in 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
 Open Roads |  The Empty Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 8.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.3% positive (184 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Open Roads Team | CheesecakeGames |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Open Roads (2024) is 1 year older than The Empty Desk (2025).
- The Empty Desk is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than Open Roads (8.49 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Open Roads is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Empty Desk has no Deck rating yet.
Open Roads vs The Empty Desk — FAQ
- Should I play Open Roads or The Empty Desk first?
- If you want chronology, Open Roads (2024) came out before The Empty Desk (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 Open Roads and The Empty Desk similar?
- They overlap on 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 Open Roads run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Open Roads is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Empty Desk doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.