Choose The American War
Choose The American War if you want an Indie and Early Access game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. The American War launched in 2023.
The American War vs The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit
The American War and The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure on Steam. The American War (2023) is 1 year older than The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit (2024). The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit is free; The American War is paid (4.99 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 The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit
Choose The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit launched in 2024.
Both The American War and The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit sit in Action 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
 The American War |  The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Early Access | Action, Adventure, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 8 reviews | 60% positive (20 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Posh Toffee Games | Benfont |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- The American War (2023) is 1 year older than The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit (2024).
- The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit is free; The American War is paid (4.99 USD).
The American War vs The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit — FAQ
- Should I play The American War or The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit first?
- If you want chronology, The American War (2023) came out before The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit (2024). 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 American War and The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit have multiplayer like The American War?
- No. The American War supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit is listed as single-player only.
- Is The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit free?
- Yes — The Backrooms: Anomaly Containment Unit is a free-to-play Steam title. The American War is paid (4.99 USD).