Choose The Phantom Fellows
Choose The Phantom Fellows if it matches what drew you to this matchup. The Phantom Fellows launched in 2024.
The Phantom Fellows vs It Returned To The Desert
The Phantom Fellows and It Returned To The Desert both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. It Returned To The Desert (2023) is 1 year older than The Phantom Fellows (2024). It Returned To The Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than The Phantom Fellows (86% 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 It Returned To The Desert
Choose It Returned To The Desert if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. It Returned To The Desert launched in 2023.
Both The Phantom Fellows and It Returned To The Desert sit in 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
 The Phantom Fellows |  It Returned To The Desert | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Genres | Adventure | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86% positive (50 reviews) | 93.8% positive (16 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Phantom Fellows | Tim Rachor |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- It Returned To The Desert (2023) is 1 year older than The Phantom Fellows (2024).
- It Returned To The Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than The Phantom Fellows (86% positive).
- It Returned To The Desert is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than The Phantom Fellows (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Phantom Fellows vs It Returned To The Desert — FAQ
- Should I play The Phantom Fellows or It Returned To The Desert first?
- If you want chronology, It Returned To The Desert (2023) came out before The Phantom Fellows (2024). 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 Phantom Fellows and It Returned To The Desert similar?
- They overlap on 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.