Choose The Utility Room
Choose The Utility Room if you want an Action experience. The Utility Room launched in 2023.
The Utility Room vs The Time Machine
The Utility Room and The Time Machine 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. The Utility Room (2023) is 2 years older than The Time Machine (2025). The Time Machine scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Utility Room (86% 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 The Time Machine
Choose The Time Machine if you want the Camera Comfort, Stereo Sound, and Surround Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 22% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Time Machine launched in 2025.
Both The Utility Room and The Time Machine sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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 Utility Room |  The Time Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 9.34 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86% positive (228 reviews) | 100% positive (27 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Lionel Marsden | Lionel Marsden |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Utility Room (2023) is 2 years older than The Time Machine (2025).
- The Time Machine scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Utility Room (86% positive).
- The Time Machine is currently ~22% cheaper on Steam than The Utility Room (9.34 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- The Time Machine is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; The Utility Room has no Deck rating yet.
The Utility Room vs The Time Machine — FAQ
- Should I play The Utility Room or The Time Machine first?
- If you want chronology, The Utility Room (2023) came out before The Time Machine (2025). 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 Utility Room and The Time Machine 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.