Choose Inside the Backrooms
Choose Inside the Backrooms if you want the Tracked Controller Support side of the pairing. 10,150 Steam reviews back the pick.
Inside the Backrooms vs Backrooms: The Phobolore
Inside the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Phobolore 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. Inside the Backrooms (2022) is 2 years older than Backrooms: The Phobolore (2024). Backrooms: The Phobolore is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than Inside the Backrooms (1.99 USD vs. 6.99 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 Phobolore
Choose Backrooms: The Phobolore if you want the Online PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 72% cheaper on the Steam Store. Backrooms: The Phobolore launched in 2024.
Both Inside the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Phobolore sit in Indie, Adventure, and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Inside the Backrooms |  Backrooms: The Phobolore | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Early Access | Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.5% positive (10,150 reviews) | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | MrFatcat | SUDT Games |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Early Access on Steam.
- Inside the Backrooms (2022) is 2 years older than Backrooms: The Phobolore (2024).
- Backrooms: The Phobolore is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than Inside the Backrooms (1.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Inside the Backrooms is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Backrooms: The Phobolore has no Deck rating yet.
Inside the Backrooms vs Backrooms: The Phobolore — FAQ
- Should I play Inside the Backrooms or Backrooms: The Phobolore first?
- If you want chronology, Inside the Backrooms (2022) came out before Backrooms: The Phobolore (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 Inside the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Phobolore 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 Inside the Backrooms and Backrooms: The Phobolore have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Inside the Backrooms ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Backrooms: The Phobolore ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Inside the Backrooms run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Inside the Backrooms is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Backrooms: The Phobolore doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.