Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want an Action, Indie, and Adventure game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Catalyst
The Forest and Catalyst both land in 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 are Simulation games on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 1 year older than Catalyst (2019). Catalyst is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Catalyst
Choose Catalyst if it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Catalyst launched in 2019.
Both The Forest and Catalyst sit in 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
 The Forest |  Catalyst | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Doubleton Game Studio |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 1 year older than Catalyst (2019).
- Catalyst is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Catalyst does not.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Catalyst has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs Catalyst — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Catalyst first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Catalyst (2019). 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 The Forest and Catalyst similar?
- They overlap on 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 Catalyst have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Catalyst is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Catalyst doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.