Choose Beginning of the Rain
Choose Beginning of the Rain if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 93% cheaper on the Steam Store. Beginning of the Rain launched in 2023.
Beginning of the Rain vs The 257th Element
Beginning of the Rain and The 257th Element 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. Beginning of the Rain (2023) is 1 year older than The 257th Element (2024). Beginning of the Rain is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than The 257th Element (1.99 USD vs. 29.99 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 The 257th Element
Choose The 257th Element if you want an Adventure experience. The 257th Element launched in 2024.
Both Beginning of the Rain and The 257th Element sit in 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
 Beginning of the Rain |  The 257th Element | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 94.4% positive (18 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | HOONDAHL STUDIOS LTD | REAL co.Ltd |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Beginning of the Rain (2023) is 1 year older than The 257th Element (2024).
- Beginning of the Rain is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than The 257th Element (1.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
Beginning of the Rain vs The 257th Element — FAQ
- Should I play Beginning of the Rain or The 257th Element first?
- If you want chronology, Beginning of the Rain (2023) came out before The 257th Element (2024). 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 Beginning of the Rain and The 257th Element 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.