Choose Dear Esther
Choose Dear Esther if you want an Adventure and Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,075 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dear Esther vs 9.03m
Dear Esther and 9.03m 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. Dear Esther (2012) is 1 year older than 9.03m (2013). 9.03m scores higher on Steam reviews (82.7% 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 9.03m
Choose 9.03m if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.7% positive across 664 reviews.
Both Dear Esther and 9.03m 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
 Dear Esther |  9.03m | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2013 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 77.6% positive (3,075 reviews) | 82.7% positive (664 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe | Space Budgie |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Dear Esther (2012) is 1 year older than 9.03m (2013).
- 9.03m scores higher on Steam reviews (82.7% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% positive).
- 9.03m is free; Dear Esther is paid (Price unknown).
- Dear Esther is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; 9.03m has no Deck rating yet.
Dear Esther vs 9.03m — FAQ
- Which is better, Dear Esther or 9.03m?
- On Steam reviews 9.03m scores higher (82.7% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, 9.03m is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Dear Esther or 9.03m first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Esther (2012) came out before 9.03m (2013). 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 9.03m 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.
- Is 9.03m free?
- Yes — 9.03m is a free-to-play Steam title. Dear Esther is paid (Price unknown).
- Does Dear Esther run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dear Esther is rated Deck Verified by Valve. 9.03m doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.