Choose Vertical Kingdom
Choose Vertical Kingdom if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Vertical Kingdom launched in 2024.
Vertical Kingdom vs Cardboard Town
Vertical Kingdom and Cardboard Town both land in Strategy, 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 share Strategy, Indie on Steam. Cardboard Town (2023) is 1 year older than Vertical Kingdom (2024). Vertical Kingdom scores higher on Steam reviews (79.7% positive) than Cardboard Town (70.6% 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 Cardboard Town
Choose Cardboard Town if you want a Simulation and Casual game with Steam Leaderboards, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cardboard Town launched in 2023.
Both Vertical Kingdom and Cardboard Town sit in Strategy and 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
 Vertical Kingdom |  Cardboard Town | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.7% positive (69 reviews) | 70.6% positive (480 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Farlight Games Industry | Stratera Games, cukuto |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Cardboard Town (2023) is 1 year older than Vertical Kingdom (2024).
- Vertical Kingdom scores higher on Steam reviews (79.7% positive) than Cardboard Town (70.6% positive).
- Cardboard Town is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Vertical Kingdom (3.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Vertical Kingdom is Deck Verified, Cardboard Town is Deck Playable.
Vertical Kingdom vs Cardboard Town — FAQ
- Should I play Vertical Kingdom or Cardboard Town first?
- If you want chronology, Cardboard Town (2023) came out before Vertical Kingdom (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 Vertical Kingdom and Cardboard Town similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.