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.
Cave Story's Secret Santa vs Chicken Journey
Cave Story's Secret Santa and Chicken Journey 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 2 years older than Chicken Journey (2023). Chicken Journey scores higher on Steam reviews (97.1% 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 Chicken Journey
Choose Chicken Journey if you want an Indie and Casual game with Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 97.1% positive across 207 reviews.
Both Cave Story's Secret Santa and Chicken Journey 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
 Cave Story's Secret Santa |  Chicken Journey | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Genres | Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.9% positive (375 reviews) | 97.1% positive (207 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Nicalis, Inc. | loonyware |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Cave Story's Secret Santa (2021) is 2 years older than Chicken Journey (2023).
- Chicken Journey scores higher on Steam reviews (97.1% positive) than Cave Story's Secret Santa (74.9% positive).
- Cave Story's Secret Santa is free; Chicken Journey is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Cave Story's Secret Santa vs Chicken Journey — FAQ
- Which is better, Cave Story's Secret Santa or Chicken Journey?
- On Steam reviews Chicken Journey scores higher (97.1% positive) than Cave Story's Secret Santa (74.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Chicken Journey is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Cave Story's Secret Santa or Chicken Journey first?
- If you want chronology, Cave Story's Secret Santa (2021) came out before Chicken Journey (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 Cave Story's Secret Santa and Chicken Journey 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. Chicken Journey is paid (9.99 USD).
- Do Cave Story's Secret Santa and Chicken Journey both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.