Choose Returnal™
Choose Returnal™ if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 4,484 Steam reviews back the pick.
Returnal™ vs Alien Frontier
Returnal™ and Alien Frontier both land in Action 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 Action games on Steam. Returnal™ (2023) is 2 years older than Alien Frontier (2025). Alien Frontier is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Returnal™ (15.99 USD vs. 59.99 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 Alien Frontier
Choose Alien Frontier if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 73% cheaper on the Steam Store. Alien Frontier launched in 2025.
Both Returnal™ and Alien Frontier sit in Action 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
 Returnal™ |  Alien Frontier | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 59.99 USD | 15.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.1% positive (4,484 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Housemarque, Climax Studios | After Hours Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Returnal™ (2023) is 2 years older than Alien Frontier (2025).
- Alien Frontier is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Returnal™ (15.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Returnal™ has co-op; Alien Frontier does not.
- Returnal™ is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Alien Frontier has no Deck rating yet.
Returnal™ vs Alien Frontier — FAQ
- Should I play Returnal™ or Alien Frontier first?
- If you want chronology, Returnal™ (2023) came out before Alien Frontier (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 Returnal™ and Alien Frontier similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Alien Frontier have multiplayer like Returnal™?
- No. Returnal™ supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Alien Frontier is listed as single-player only.