IMHO.

ISLANDERS: New Shores vs 49 Squares

ISLANDERS: New Shores and 49 Squares both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam. 49 Squares (2023) is 2 years older than ISLANDERS: New Shores (2025). 49 Squares is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than ISLANDERS: New Shores (2.99 USD vs. 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 ISLANDERS: New Shores

Choose ISLANDERS: New Shores if you want a Simulation game with Steam Leaderboards, Adjustable Text Size, and Camera Comfort. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. ISLANDERS: New Shores launched in 2025.

Choose 49 Squares

Choose 49 Squares if it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. 49 Squares launched in 2023.

Both ISLANDERS: New Shores and 49 Squares sit in Strategy, Indie, and Casual 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

ISLANDERS: New Shores vs 49 Squares — Steam metadata comparison
ISLANDERS: New Shores — Steam game coverISLANDERS: New Shores49 Squares — Steam game cover49 Squares
Released20252023
GenresStrategy, Indie, Simulation, CasualStrategy, Indie, Casual
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price9.99 USD2.99 USD
Steam reviews97.1% positive (797 reviews)2 reviews
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersThe StationJim Bame

Side by side

ISLANDERS: New Shores vs 49 Squares — FAQ

Should I play ISLANDERS: New Shores or 49 Squares first?
If you want chronology, 49 Squares (2023) came out before ISLANDERS: New Shores (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 ISLANDERS: New Shores and 49 Squares similar?
They overlap on Strategy, 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.
Does ISLANDERS: New Shores run on Steam Deck?
Yes — ISLANDERS: New Shores is rated Deck Verified by Valve. 49 Squares doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
ISLANDERS: New Shores vs 49 Squares — Verdict (2026) · imho.run