IMHO.

Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp vs Shinjuku Hearts

Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp and Shinjuku Hearts 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. Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp (2022) is 1 year older than Shinjuku Hearts (2023). Shinjuku Hearts scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp (80.8% 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 Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp

Choose Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp launched in 2022.

Choose Shinjuku Hearts

Choose Shinjuku Hearts if you want a Casual experience. Shinjuku Hearts launched in 2023.

Both Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp and Shinjuku Hearts 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

Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp vs Shinjuku Hearts — Steam metadata comparison
Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp — Steam game coverDark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black SwampShinjuku Hearts — Steam game coverShinjuku Hearts
Released20222023
GenresIndie, SimulationIndie, Casual
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
Price3.00 USD4.99 USD
Steam reviews80.8% positive (26 reviews)100% positive (14 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersOutis Media, Siluman SoftKoi Spirit

Side by side

Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp vs Shinjuku Hearts — FAQ

Should I play Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp or Shinjuku Hearts first?
If you want chronology, Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp (2022) came out before Shinjuku Hearts (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 Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp and Shinjuku Hearts 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.
Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp vs Shinjuku Hearts · imho.run