Choose Return the Backrooms
Choose Return the Backrooms if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. Return the Backrooms launched in 2022.
Return the Backrooms vs Backrooms: The Last Observer
Return the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Last Observer both land in Indie, Adventure, Early Access 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 Indie, Adventure, Early Access on Steam. Return the Backrooms (2022) is 4 years older than Backrooms: The Last Observer (2026). Backrooms: The Last Observer is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Return the Backrooms (1.19 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 Backrooms: The Last Observer
Choose Backrooms: The Last Observer if you want a Simulation game with LAN Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. Backrooms: The Last Observer launched in 2026.
Both Return the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Last Observer sit in Indie, Adventure, and Early Access on Steam and both list Online Co-op and Co-op, 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 |  Backrooms: The Last Observer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Early Access | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 1.19 USD |
| Steam reviews | 22.2% positive (18 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Online Co-op, LAN Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Skmaestro | Skmaestro |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Early Access on Steam.
- Return the Backrooms (2022) is 4 years older than Backrooms: The Last Observer (2026).
- Backrooms: The Last Observer is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Return the Backrooms (1.19 USD vs. 3.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Return the Backrooms vs Backrooms: The Last Observer — FAQ
- Should I play Return the Backrooms or Backrooms: The Last Observer first?
- If you want chronology, Return the Backrooms (2022) came out before Backrooms: The Last Observer (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 Return the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Last Observer similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Early Access 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.
- Do both Return the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Last Observer have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Return the Backrooms ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Backrooms: The Last Observer ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.