Choose Bad Cat
Choose Bad Cat if you want an Indie and Casual experience. Bad Cat launched in 2022.
Bad Cat vs Cave Story's Secret Santa
Bad Cat and Cave Story's Secret Santa both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Cave Story's Secret Santa (2021) is 1 year older than Bad Cat (2022). Bad Cat scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Cave Story's Secret Santa (74.9% positive). 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 Cave Story's Secret Santa
Choose Cave Story's Secret Santa if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Cave Story's Secret Santa launched in 2021.
Both Bad Cat and Cave Story's Secret Santa sit in 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
 Bad Cat |  Cave Story's Secret Santa | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 1.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 93% positive (43 reviews) | 74.9% positive (375 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | FastGame, VICTORIA Games | Nicalis, Inc. |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Cave Story's Secret Santa (2021) is 1 year older than Bad Cat (2022).
- Bad Cat scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Cave Story's Secret Santa (74.9% positive).
- Cave Story's Secret Santa is free; Bad Cat is paid (1.99 USD).
- Cave Story's Secret Santa is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Bad Cat has no Deck rating yet.
Bad Cat vs Cave Story's Secret Santa — FAQ
- Should I play Bad Cat or Cave Story's Secret Santa first?
- If you want chronology, Cave Story's Secret Santa (2021) came out before Bad Cat (2022). 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 Bad Cat and Cave Story's Secret Santa similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Is Cave Story's Secret Santa free?
- Yes — Cave Story's Secret Santa is a free-to-play Steam title. Bad Cat is paid (1.99 USD).