Should I play Scarlet Hollow or The Afterlife Cafe first?

If you want chronology, Scarlet Hollow (2021) came out before The Afterlife Cafe (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 Scarlet Hollow and The Afterlife Cafe similar?

They overlap on Adventure, Casual 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.

Does Scarlet Hollow run on Steam Deck?

Yes — Scarlet Hollow is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Afterlife Cafe doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.

Scarlet Hollow vs The Afterlife Cafe

Scarlet Hollow and The Afterlife Cafe both land in Adventure, Casual 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 Adventure, Casual on Steam. Scarlet Hollow (2021) is 5 years older than The Afterlife Cafe (2026). Scarlet Hollow is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Afterlife Cafe has no Deck rating yet. 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 Early Access game with Subtitle Options and Keyboard Only Option. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,657 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose The Afterlife Cafe

Choose The Afterlife Cafe if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Afterlife Cafe launched in 2026.

Both Scarlet Hollow and The Afterlife Cafe sit in Adventure and Casual on Steam and both list Adjustable Text Size, Color Alternatives, and Custom Volume Controls, 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.

Scarlet Hollow vs The Afterlife Cafe — Steam metadata comparison
	Scarlet Hollow	The Afterlife Cafe
Released	2021	2026
Genres	Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual, Early Access	Adventure, Simulation, Casual
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, Linux
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	24.99 USD	Price unknown
Steam reviews	98.1% positive (3,657 reviews)	—
Multiplayer	Single-player only	Single-player only
Developers	Black Tabby Games	Guava Pixel Studios

Side by side

Both share Adventure, Casual on Steam.
Scarlet Hollow (2021) is 5 years older than The Afterlife Cafe (2026).
Scarlet Hollow is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Afterlife Cafe has no Deck rating yet.