Choose Virtual Chemistry Lab
Choose Virtual Chemistry Lab if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Virtual Chemistry Lab launched in 2023.
Virtual Chemistry Lab vs Rela
Virtual Chemistry Lab and Rela both land in Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Virtual Chemistry Lab (2023) is 3 years older than Rela (2026). Virtual Chemistry Lab is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Rela (19.99 USD vs. 80.00 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 Rela
Choose Rela if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Rela launched in 2026.
Both Virtual Chemistry Lab and Rela sit in Indie and Simulation 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
 Virtual Chemistry Lab |  Rela | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 80.00 USD |
| Steam reviews | 1 reviews | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Alpay Akay | Relavity |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Virtual Chemistry Lab (2023) is 3 years older than Rela (2026).
- Virtual Chemistry Lab is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Rela (19.99 USD vs. 80.00 USD).
Virtual Chemistry Lab vs Rela — FAQ
- Should I play Virtual Chemistry Lab or Rela first?
- If you want chronology, Virtual Chemistry Lab (2023) came out before Rela (2026). 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 Virtual Chemistry Lab and Rela similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation 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.