Choose Dear Mom
Choose Dear Mom if you want a Simulation, Free To Play, and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Dear Mom launched in 2021.
Dear Mom vs Back Then
Dear Mom and Back Then both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. Dear Mom (2021) is 2 years older than Back Then (2023). Back Then scores higher on Steam reviews (93.1% positive) than Dear Mom (66.7% 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 Back Then
Choose Back Then if you want an Adventure experience. Back Then launched in 2023.
Both Dear Mom and Back Then sit in 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
 Dear Mom |  Back Then | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 12.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.7% positive (21 reviews) | 93.1% positive (29 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ethos Games | Octopus Embrace |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Dear Mom (2021) is 2 years older than Back Then (2023).
- Back Then scores higher on Steam reviews (93.1% positive) than Dear Mom (66.7% positive).
- Dear Mom is free; Back Then is paid (12.99 USD).
Dear Mom vs Back Then — FAQ
- Should I play Dear Mom or Back Then first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Mom (2021) came out before Back Then (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 Dear Mom and Back Then similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Is Dear Mom free?
- Yes — Dear Mom is a free-to-play Steam title. Back Then is paid (12.99 USD).