IMHO.

Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! vs Crimson Freedom

Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! and Crimson Freedom both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! (2025) is 1 year older than Crimson Freedom (2026). Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Crimson Freedom 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 Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil!

Choose Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! if you want an Action and Indie experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! launched in 2025.

Choose Crimson Freedom

Choose Crimson Freedom if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. Crimson Freedom launched in 2026.

Both Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! and Crimson Freedom sit in Strategy 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

Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! vs Crimson Freedom — Steam metadata comparison
Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! — Steam game coverGrimstar: Crystals are the New Oil!Crimson Freedom — Steam game coverCrimson Freedom
Released20252026
GenresAction, Strategy, IndieStrategy
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price12.99 USDPrice unknown
Steam reviews90.9% positive (11 reviews)—
MultiplayerSingle-player onlyMulti-player
DevelopersSvenRahn GamesYboga doo

Side by side

Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! vs Crimson Freedom — FAQ

Should I play Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! or Crimson Freedom first?
If you want chronology, Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! (2025) came out before Crimson Freedom (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 Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! and Crimson Freedom similar?
They overlap on Strategy 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 Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! have multiplayer like Crimson Freedom?
No. Crimson Freedom supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! is listed as single-player only.
Does Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Crimson Freedom doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil! vs Crimson Freedom · imho.run