Choose The Backrooms Project
Choose The Backrooms Project if you want a Strategy, RPG, and Casual game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and PvP. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. The Backrooms Project launched in 2022.
The Backrooms Project vs CRUELTY
The Backrooms Project and CRUELTY both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Backrooms Project (2022) is 2 years older than CRUELTY (2024). CRUELTY scores higher on Steam reviews (77.1% positive) than The Backrooms Project (74.7% 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 CRUELTY
Choose CRUELTY if it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. CRUELTY launched in 2024.
Both The Backrooms Project and CRUELTY sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 The Backrooms Project |  CRUELTY | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.7% positive (79 reviews) | 77.1% positive (48 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | 3AM Studios | 838s Maniacs |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Backrooms Project (2022) is 2 years older than CRUELTY (2024).
- CRUELTY scores higher on Steam reviews (77.1% positive) than The Backrooms Project (74.7% positive).
- CRUELTY is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than The Backrooms Project (6.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- The Backrooms Project has co-op; CRUELTY does not.
The Backrooms Project vs CRUELTY — FAQ
- Should I play The Backrooms Project or CRUELTY first?
- If you want chronology, The Backrooms Project (2022) came out before CRUELTY (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 The Backrooms Project and CRUELTY similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 CRUELTY have multiplayer like The Backrooms Project?
- No. The Backrooms Project supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while CRUELTY is listed as single-player only.