Choose Short Stories
Choose Short Stories if it's currently about 63% cheaper on the Steam Store. Short Stories launched in 2021.
Short Stories vs Mall Heist
Short Stories and Mall Heist both land in Action, Strategy, 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 share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Short Stories (2021) is 4 years older than Mall Heist (2025). Short Stories is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than Mall Heist (2.99 USD vs. 7.99 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 Mall Heist
Choose Mall Heist if you want a Casual game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Mall Heist launched in 2025.
Both Short Stories and Mall Heist sit in Action, Strategy, and 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
 Short Stories |  Mall Heist | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 2 reviews | 8 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | One Guy Productions | Evlnu GameWorks |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Short Stories (2021) is 4 years older than Mall Heist (2025).
- Short Stories is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than Mall Heist (2.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD).
- Mall Heist has co-op; Short Stories does not.
Short Stories vs Mall Heist — FAQ
- Should I play Short Stories or Mall Heist first?
- If you want chronology, Short Stories (2021) came out before Mall Heist (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 Short Stories and Mall Heist similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.
- Does Short Stories have multiplayer like Mall Heist?
- No. Mall Heist supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Short Stories is listed as single-player only.