Choose State of Decay
Choose State of Decay if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 8,821 Steam reviews back the pick.
State of Decay vs Alchemy of the Earth
State of Decay and Alchemy of the Earth both land in Action, Simulation, RPG 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 Action, Simulation, RPG on Steam. State of Decay (2013) is 12 years older than Alchemy of the Earth (2025). State of Decay scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Alchemy of the Earth (70% 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 of the Earth
Choose Alchemy of the Earth if you want a Strategy, Indie, and Adventure game with Subtitle Options, Color Alternatives, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Alchemy of the Earth launched in 2025.
Both State of Decay and Alchemy of the Earth sit in Action, Simulation, and RPG 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
 State of Decay |  Alchemy of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 15.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.6% positive (8,821 reviews) | 70% positive (20 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Undead Labs | Tamalpais Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- State of Decay (2013) is 12 years older than Alchemy of the Earth (2025).
- State of Decay scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Alchemy of the Earth (70% positive).
- State of Decay is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Alchemy of the Earth has no Deck rating yet.
State of Decay vs Alchemy of the Earth — FAQ
- Should I play State of Decay or Alchemy of the Earth first?
- If you want chronology, State of Decay (2013) came out before Alchemy of the Earth (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 State of Decay and Alchemy of the Earth similar?
- They overlap on Action, Simulation, RPG 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 State of Decay run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — State of Decay is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Alchemy of the Earth doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.