Choose Small World
Choose Small World if you want a Strategy game with Shared/Split Screen PvP and LAN PvP. Small World launched in 2013.
Small World vs Animated Puzzles
Small World and Animated Puzzles both land in Indie, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Small World (2013) is 3 years older than Animated Puzzles (2016). Animated Puzzles scores higher on Steam reviews (97.2% positive) than Small World (68.9% 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 Animated Puzzles
Choose Animated Puzzles if you want the Steam Leaderboards, Online Co-op, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 45% cheaper on the Steam Store. Animated Puzzles launched in 2016.
Both Small World and Animated Puzzles sit in Indie and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Turn Notifications, 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
 Small World |  Animated Puzzles | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 5.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 68.9% positive (628 reviews) | 97.2% positive (36 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Days of Wonder | Mexond |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Small World (2013) is 3 years older than Animated Puzzles (2016).
- Animated Puzzles scores higher on Steam reviews (97.2% positive) than Small World (68.9% positive).
- Animated Puzzles is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than Small World (5.49 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Animated Puzzles has co-op; Small World does not.
- Steam Deck: Small World is Deck Playable, Animated Puzzles is Deck Verified.
Small World vs Animated Puzzles — FAQ
- Should I play Small World or Animated Puzzles first?
- If you want chronology, Small World (2013) came out before Animated Puzzles (2016). 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 Small World and Animated Puzzles similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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.