Choose Paper Trail
Choose Paper Trail if you want a Strategy game with Adjustable Text Size, Subtitle Options, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Paper Trail launched in 2024.
Paper Trail vs Steps To The Stars
Paper Trail and Steps To The Stars both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Paper Trail (2024) is 2 years older than Steps To The Stars (2026). Paper Trail is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Steps To The Stars has no Deck rating yet. 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 Steps To The Stars
Choose Steps To The Stars if you want the DualShock Controller Support, Steam Input API Support, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. Steps To The Stars launched in 2026.
Both Paper Trail and Steps To The Stars sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls, 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
 Paper Trail |  Steps To The Stars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 94.7% positive (320 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Newfangled Games | Celestial Studios Interactive |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Paper Trail (2024) is 2 years older than Steps To The Stars (2026).
- Paper Trail is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Steps To The Stars has no Deck rating yet.
Paper Trail vs Steps To The Stars — FAQ
- Should I play Paper Trail or Steps To The Stars first?
- If you want chronology, Paper Trail (2024) came out before Steps To The Stars (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 Paper Trail and Steps To The Stars similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual 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 Paper Trail run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Paper Trail is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Steps To The Stars doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.