Choose River Town Factory
Choose River Town Factory if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. River Town Factory launched in 2024.
River Town Factory vs Alchemy Factory
River Town Factory and Alchemy Factory 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. River Town Factory (2024) is 2 years older than Alchemy Factory (2026). Alchemy Factory scores higher on Steam reviews (88.1% positive) than River Town Factory (86.1% 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 Alchemy Factory
Choose Alchemy Factory if you want a Strategy and Casual game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 2,952 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both River Town Factory and Alchemy Factory 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
 River Town Factory |  Alchemy Factory | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 17.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.1% positive (72 reviews) | 88.1% positive (2,952 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | iFAction Studio | D5 Copperhead |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- River Town Factory (2024) is 2 years older than Alchemy Factory (2026).
- Alchemy Factory scores higher on Steam reviews (88.1% positive) than River Town Factory (86.1% positive).
- River Town Factory is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Alchemy Factory (14.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
- Alchemy Factory has co-op; River Town Factory does not.
- Steam Deck: River Town Factory is Deck Verified, Alchemy Factory is Deck Playable.
River Town Factory vs Alchemy Factory — FAQ
- Should I play River Town Factory or Alchemy Factory first?
- If you want chronology, River Town Factory (2024) came out before Alchemy Factory (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 River Town Factory and Alchemy Factory 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.
- Does River Town Factory have multiplayer like Alchemy Factory?
- No. Alchemy Factory supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while River Town Factory is listed as single-player only.