Choose Return the Backrooms
Choose Return the Backrooms if you want an Adventure and Early Access game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Return the Backrooms launched in 2022.
Return the Backrooms vs The Cost Of Bliss
Return the Backrooms and The Cost Of Bliss 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. Return the Backrooms (2022) is 2 years older than The Cost Of Bliss (2024). The Cost Of Bliss is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Return the Backrooms (2.99 USD vs. 3.99 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 The Cost Of Bliss
Choose The Cost Of Bliss if it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Cost Of Bliss launched in 2024.
Both Return the Backrooms and The Cost Of Bliss 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
 Return the Backrooms |  The Cost Of Bliss | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Early Access | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 22.2% positive (18 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Skmaestro | Andre David Dev |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Return the Backrooms (2022) is 2 years older than The Cost Of Bliss (2024).
- The Cost Of Bliss is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Return the Backrooms (2.99 USD vs. 3.99 USD).
- Return the Backrooms has co-op; The Cost Of Bliss does not.
Return the Backrooms vs The Cost Of Bliss — FAQ
- Should I play Return the Backrooms or The Cost Of Bliss first?
- If you want chronology, Return the Backrooms (2022) came out before The Cost Of Bliss (2024). 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 Return the Backrooms and The Cost Of Bliss 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.
- Does The Cost Of Bliss have multiplayer like Return the Backrooms?
- No. Return the Backrooms supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while The Cost Of Bliss is listed as single-player only.