Choose The Master's Pupil
Choose The Master's Pupil if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The Master's Pupil launched in 2023.
The Master's Pupil vs Qiú 泅
The Master's Pupil and Qiú 泅 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. The Master's Pupil (2023) is 3 years older than Qiú 泅 (2026). Qiú 泅 is free; The Master's Pupil is paid (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 Qiú 泅
Choose Qiú 泅 if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Qiú 泅 launched in 2026.
Both The Master's Pupil and Qiú 泅 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
 The Master's Pupil |  Qiú 泅 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 93% positive (100 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Pat Naoum | Baoz 豹子, BrotherJie |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- The Master's Pupil (2023) is 3 years older than Qiú 泅 (2026).
- Qiú 泅 is free; The Master's Pupil is paid (14.99 USD).
- The Master's Pupil is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Qiú 泅 has no Deck rating yet.
The Master's Pupil vs Qiú 泅 — FAQ
- Should I play The Master's Pupil or Qiú 泅 first?
- If you want chronology, The Master's Pupil (2023) came out before Qiú 泅 (2026). 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 The Master's Pupil and Qiú 泅 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.
- Is Qiú 泅 free?
- Yes — Qiú 泅 is a free-to-play Steam title. The Master's Pupil is paid (14.99 USD).
- Does The Master's Pupil run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Master's Pupil is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Qiú 泅 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.