Choose Dear Esther
Choose Dear Esther if you want a Casual experience. 3,075 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dear Esther vs Firewatch
Dear Esther and Firewatch both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Dear Esther (2012) is 4 years older than Firewatch (2016). Firewatch scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% 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 Firewatch
Choose Firewatch if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.2% positive across 55,602 reviews.
Both Dear Esther and Firewatch sit in 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
 Dear Esther |  Firewatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | Price unknown | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.6% positive (3,075 reviews) | 89.2% positive (55,602 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe | Campo Santo |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Dear Esther (2012) is 4 years older than Firewatch (2016).
- Firewatch scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% positive).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Dear Esther vs Firewatch — FAQ
- Which is better, Dear Esther or Firewatch?
- On Steam reviews Firewatch scores higher (89.2% positive) than Dear Esther (77.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Firewatch 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 Firewatch first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Esther (2012) came out before Firewatch (2016). 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 Firewatch similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Do Dear Esther and Firewatch both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.