Choose Cold House
Choose Cold House if it's currently about 29% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cold House launched in 2022.
Cold House vs Department 14
Cold House and Department 14 both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Cold House (2022) is 1 year older than Department 14 (2023). Cold House is currently ~29% cheaper on Steam than Department 14 (4.99 USD vs. 6.99 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 Department 14
Choose Department 14 if you want an Early Access experience. Department 14 launched in 2023.
Both Cold House and Department 14 sit in Action, 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
 Cold House |  Department 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 39.5% positive (43 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Menge Studio | Menge Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Cold House (2022) is 1 year older than Department 14 (2023).
- Cold House is currently ~29% cheaper on Steam than Department 14 (4.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
Cold House vs Department 14 — FAQ
- Should I play Cold House or Department 14 first?
- If you want chronology, Cold House (2022) came out before Department 14 (2023). 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 Cold House and Department 14 similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.