Choose C.I.E.B The Backrooms
Choose C.I.E.B The Backrooms if you want a Simulation and Early Access experience. C.I.E.B The Backrooms launched in 2023.
C.I.E.B The Backrooms vs Rat`s Lair
C.I.E.B The Backrooms and Rat`s Lair 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. C.I.E.B The Backrooms (2023) is 2 years older than Rat`s Lair (2025). Rat`s Lair is free; C.I.E.B The Backrooms is paid (9.99 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 Rat`s Lair
Choose Rat`s Lair if you want a Free To Play game with Stereo Sound and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Rat`s Lair launched in 2025.
Both C.I.E.B The Backrooms and Rat`s Lair sit in Indie 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
 C.I.E.B The Backrooms |  Rat`s Lair | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Early Access | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Omar Macle-Soto | Simantick team |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- C.I.E.B The Backrooms (2023) is 2 years older than Rat`s Lair (2025).
- Rat`s Lair is free; C.I.E.B The Backrooms is paid (9.99 USD).
C.I.E.B The Backrooms vs Rat`s Lair — FAQ
- Should I play C.I.E.B The Backrooms or Rat`s Lair first?
- If you want chronology, C.I.E.B The Backrooms (2023) came out before Rat`s Lair (2025). 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 C.I.E.B The Backrooms and Rat`s Lair 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.
- Is Rat`s Lair free?
- Yes — Rat`s Lair is a free-to-play Steam title. C.I.E.B The Backrooms is paid (9.99 USD).