Choose Project Absentia
Choose Project Absentia if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Project Absentia launched in 2026.
Project Absentia vs Zortch
Project Absentia and Zortch both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Zortch (2023) is 3 years older than Project Absentia (2026). Both sit near 98% positive on Steam (Project Absentia: 75 reviews, Zortch: 1,111). 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 Zortch
Choose Zortch if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,111 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Project Absentia and Zortch sit in Action and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (97.3% vs 98.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Project Absentia |  Zortch | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 97.3% positive (75 reviews) | 98.1% positive (1,111 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Waffle Iron Studios | Mutantleg |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Zortch (2023) is 3 years older than Project Absentia (2026).
- Both sit near 98% positive on Steam (Project Absentia: 75 reviews, Zortch: 1,111).
- Zortch is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Project Absentia (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Zortch is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Project Absentia has no Deck rating yet.
Project Absentia vs Zortch — FAQ
- Should I play Project Absentia or Zortch first?
- If you want chronology, Zortch (2023) came out before Project Absentia (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 Project Absentia and Zortch similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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.