Should I play Scarlet Hollow or Carnival first?

If you want chronology, Scarlet Hollow (2021) came out before Carnival (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 Scarlet Hollow and Carnival 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.

Scarlet Hollow vs Carnival

Scarlet Hollow and Carnival 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. Scarlet Hollow (2021) is 4 years older than Carnival (2025). Carnival scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Scarlet Hollow (98.1% 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 Scarlet Hollow

Choose Scarlet Hollow if you want an Indie, RPG, and Casual game with Adjustable Text Size, Subtitle Options, and Color Alternatives. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,657 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Carnival

Choose Carnival if it's currently about 52% cheaper on the Steam Store. Carnival launched in 2025.

Both Scarlet Hollow and Carnival sit in Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (98.1% vs 100% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.

Scarlet Hollow vs Carnival — Steam metadata comparison
	Scarlet Hollow	Carnival
Released	2021	2025
Genres	Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual, Early Access	Adventure
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Deck Playable
Price	24.99 USD	11.99 USD
Steam reviews	98.1% positive (3,657 reviews)	100% positive (47 reviews)
Multiplayer	Single-player only	Single-player only
Developers	Black Tabby Games	Beyond Booleans

Side by side

Both are Adventure games on Steam.
Scarlet Hollow (2021) is 4 years older than Carnival (2025).
Carnival scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Scarlet Hollow (98.1% positive).
Carnival is currently ~52% cheaper on Steam than Scarlet Hollow (11.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
Steam Deck: Scarlet Hollow is Deck Verified, Carnival is Deck Playable.