Choose Cave Story+
Choose Cave Story+ if you want an Indie experience. 3,688 Steam reviews back the pick.
Cave Story+ vs ELF
Cave Story+ and ELF both land in Action, 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, Adventure on Steam. Cave Story+ (2011) is 7 years older than ELF (2018). ELF is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Cave Story+ (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 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 ELF
Choose ELF if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. ELF launched in 2018.
Both Cave Story+ and ELF sit in Action 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
 Cave Story+ |  ELF | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.8% positive (3,688 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Nicalis, Inc., Studio Pixel | Ocean Software |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Cave Story+ (2011) is 7 years older than ELF (2018).
- ELF is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Cave Story+ (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Cave Story+ is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; ELF has no Deck rating yet.
Cave Story+ vs ELF — FAQ
- Should I play Cave Story+ or ELF first?
- If you want chronology, Cave Story+ (2011) came out before ELF (2018). 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 Cave Story+ and ELF similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Cave Story+ run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Cave Story+ is rated Deck Playable by Valve. ELF doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.