Choose The Past Within
Choose The Past Within if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.7% positive across 3,780 reviews.
The Past Within vs Parallel Experiment
The Past Within and Parallel Experiment 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. The Past Within (2022) is 3 years older than Parallel Experiment (2025). The Past Within scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than Parallel Experiment (87.3% 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 Parallel Experiment
Choose Parallel Experiment if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Parallel Experiment launched in 2025.
Both The Past Within and Parallel Experiment sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, 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 Past Within |  Parallel Experiment | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.7% positive (3,780 reviews) | 87.3% positive (324 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Rusty Lake | Eleven Puzzles |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Past Within (2022) is 3 years older than Parallel Experiment (2025).
- The Past Within scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than Parallel Experiment (87.3% positive).
- Parallel Experiment is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than The Past Within (4.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Past Within vs Parallel Experiment — FAQ
- Which is better, The Past Within or Parallel Experiment?
- On Steam reviews The Past Within scores higher (94.7% positive) than Parallel Experiment (87.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Past Within is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Past Within or Parallel Experiment first?
- If you want chronology, The Past Within (2022) came out before Parallel Experiment (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 The Past Within and Parallel Experiment 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.
- Do both The Past Within and Parallel Experiment have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Past Within ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Parallel Experiment ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Do The Past Within and Parallel Experiment both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.