Choose The Unknown
Choose The Unknown if you want an Action, Strategy, and Massively Multiplayer experience. The Unknown launched in 2023.
The Unknown vs Backrooms: The Phobolore
The Unknown and Backrooms: The Phobolore both land in Indie 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 are Indie games on Steam. The Unknown (2023) is 1 year older than Backrooms: The Phobolore (2024). Backrooms: The Phobolore is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Unknown (1.99 USD vs. 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 Backrooms: The Phobolore
Choose Backrooms: The Phobolore if you want an Adventure and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Backrooms: The Phobolore launched in 2024.
Both The Unknown and Backrooms: The Phobolore sit in Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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 Unknown |  Backrooms: The Phobolore | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 1 reviews | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Flgaming | SUDT Games |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- The Unknown (2023) is 1 year older than Backrooms: The Phobolore (2024).
- Backrooms: The Phobolore is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Unknown (1.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
The Unknown vs Backrooms: The Phobolore — FAQ
- Should I play The Unknown or Backrooms: The Phobolore first?
- If you want chronology, The Unknown (2023) came out before Backrooms: The Phobolore (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 Unknown and Backrooms: The Phobolore similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.
- Do both The Unknown and Backrooms: The Phobolore have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Unknown ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Backrooms: The Phobolore ships Online Co-op, Co-op.