Choose Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Choose Octodad: Dadliest Catch if you want an Action game with Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 6,147 Steam reviews back the pick.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch vs Octodad (Student Edition)
Octodad: Dadliest Catch and Octodad (Student Edition) 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. Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014) is 9 years older than Octodad (Student Edition) (2023). Octodad: Dadliest Catch scores higher on Steam reviews (94.2% positive) than Octodad (Student Edition) (92.8% 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 Octodad (Student Edition)
Choose Octodad (Student Edition) if you want a Simulation and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Octodad (Student Edition) launched in 2023.
Both Octodad: Dadliest Catch and Octodad (Student Edition) sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (94.2% vs 92.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Octodad: Dadliest Catch |  Octodad (Student Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.2% positive (6,147 reviews) | 92.8% positive (97 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Young Horses | Young Horses: Free Range, Young Horses |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014) is 9 years older than Octodad (Student Edition) (2023).
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch scores higher on Steam reviews (94.2% positive) than Octodad (Student Edition) (92.8% positive).
- Octodad (Student Edition) is free; Octodad: Dadliest Catch is paid (14.99 USD).
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Octodad (Student Edition) has no Deck rating yet.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch vs Octodad (Student Edition) — FAQ
- Should I play Octodad: Dadliest Catch or Octodad (Student Edition) first?
- If you want chronology, Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014) came out before Octodad (Student Edition) (2023). 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 Octodad: Dadliest Catch and Octodad (Student Edition) 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 Octodad (Student Edition) have multiplayer like Octodad: Dadliest Catch?
- No. Octodad: Dadliest Catch supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Octodad (Student Edition) is listed as single-player only.
- Is Octodad (Student Edition) free?
- Yes — Octodad (Student Edition) is a free-to-play Steam title. Octodad: Dadliest Catch is paid (14.99 USD).
- Does Octodad: Dadliest Catch run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Octodad: Dadliest Catch is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Octodad (Student Edition) doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.