Choose Dear Esther
Choose Dear Esther if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,075 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dear Esther vs Into A Dream
Dear Esther and Into A Dream both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Dear Esther (2012) is 8 years older than Into A Dream (2020). Into A Dream scores higher on Steam reviews (87.5% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% 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 Into A Dream
Choose Into A Dream if it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Into A Dream launched in 2020.
Both Dear Esther and Into A Dream sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual 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
 Dear Esther |  Into A Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.6% positive (3,075 reviews) | 87.5% positive (32 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe | Filipe F. Thomaz |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Dear Esther (2012) is 8 years older than Into A Dream (2020).
- Into A Dream scores higher on Steam reviews (87.5% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% positive).
- Dear Esther is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Into A Dream has no Deck rating yet.
Dear Esther vs Into A Dream — FAQ
- Should I play Dear Esther or Into A Dream first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Esther (2012) came out before Into A Dream (2020). 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 Dear Esther and Into A Dream similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual 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 Dear Esther run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dear Esther is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Into A Dream doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.