Choose Sailing Era
Choose Sailing Era if you want a Simulation and RPG experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Sailing Era launched in 2023.
Sailing Era vs Bootleg Steamer
Sailing Era and Bootleg Steamer both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Adventure on Steam. Sailing Era (2023) is 1 year older than Bootleg Steamer (2024). Sailing Era scores higher on Steam reviews (84.4% positive) than Bootleg Steamer (72.7% 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 Bootleg Steamer
Choose Bootleg Steamer if you want an Action, Indie, and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 76% cheaper on the Steam Store. Bootleg Steamer launched in 2024.
Both Sailing Era and Bootleg Steamer sit in Strategy 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
 Sailing Era |  Bootleg Steamer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 84.4% positive (371 reviews) | 72.7% positive (22 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | GY Games | Team Junkfish |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Adventure on Steam.
- Sailing Era (2023) is 1 year older than Bootleg Steamer (2024).
- Sailing Era scores higher on Steam reviews (84.4% positive) than Bootleg Steamer (72.7% positive).
- Bootleg Steamer is currently ~76% cheaper on Steam than Sailing Era (5.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Sailing Era is Deck Verified, Bootleg Steamer is Deck Unsupported.
Sailing Era vs Bootleg Steamer — FAQ
- Should I play Sailing Era or Bootleg Steamer first?
- If you want chronology, Sailing Era (2023) came out before Bootleg Steamer (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 Sailing Era and Bootleg Steamer similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.