Choose After School
Choose After School if it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. After School launched in 2021.
After School vs Smiling Mascots
After School and Smiling Mascots 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. After School (2021) is 5 years older than Smiling Mascots (2026). After School is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Smiling Mascots (2.99 USD vs. 5.94 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 Smiling Mascots
Choose Smiling Mascots if you want a Simulation game with Stereo Sound and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Smiling Mascots launched in 2026.
Both After School and Smiling Mascots 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
 After School |  Smiling Mascots | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 5.94 USD |
| Steam reviews | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Taiga | Javier González |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- After School (2021) is 5 years older than Smiling Mascots (2026).
- After School is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Smiling Mascots (2.99 USD vs. 5.94 USD).
After School vs Smiling Mascots — FAQ
- Should I play After School or Smiling Mascots first?
- If you want chronology, After School (2021) came out before Smiling Mascots (2026). 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 After School and Smiling Mascots 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.