Choose Cut to the Core
Choose Cut to the Core if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cut to the Core launched in 2022.
Cut to the Core vs Phantoms
Cut to the Core and Phantoms both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. Cut to the Core (2022) is 3 years older than Phantoms (2025). Cut to the Core is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Phantoms (2.99 USD vs. 5.99 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 Phantoms
Choose Phantoms if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Phantoms launched in 2025.
Both Cut to the Core and Phantoms sit in Indie 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
 Cut to the Core |  Phantoms | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Casual | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.6% positive (109 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Plasma Press | Ikuku |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Cut to the Core (2022) is 3 years older than Phantoms (2025).
- Cut to the Core is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Phantoms (2.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
Cut to the Core vs Phantoms — FAQ
- Should I play Cut to the Core or Phantoms first?
- If you want chronology, Cut to the Core (2022) came out before Phantoms (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 Cut to the Core and Phantoms similar?
- They overlap on 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.