IMHO.

The Witness vs A SECOND BEFORE US

The Witness and A SECOND BEFORE US 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 Witness (2016) is 1 year older than A SECOND BEFORE US (2017). The Witness scores higher on Steam reviews (82.6% positive) than A SECOND BEFORE US (48.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Side-by-side comparison

The Witness vs A SECOND BEFORE US — Steam metadata comparison
The Witness — Steam game coverThe WitnessA SECOND BEFORE US — Steam game coverA SECOND BEFORE US
Released20162017
GenresIndie, AdventureIndie, Adventure
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price39.99 USD3.99 USD
Steam reviews82.6% positive (8,747 reviews)48.4% positive (31 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersThekla, Inc.DimleTeam

Side by side

The Witness vs A SECOND BEFORE US — FAQ

Should I play The Witness or A SECOND BEFORE US first?
If you want chronology, The Witness (2016) came out before A SECOND BEFORE US (2017). 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 Witness and A SECOND BEFORE US 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.
Does The Witness run on Steam Deck?
Yes — The Witness is rated Deck Playable by Valve. A SECOND BEFORE US doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.