IMHO.

The Forest vs The Garden Pub

The Forest and The Garden Pub 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 The Garden Pub (2019). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than The Garden Pub (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 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.

Choose The Garden Pub

Choose The Garden Pub if it's currently about 85% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Garden Pub launched in 2019.

Both The Forest and The Garden Pub 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 vs The Garden Pub — Steam metadata comparison
The Forest — Steam game coverThe ForestThe Garden Pub — Steam game coverThe Garden Pub
Released20182019
GenresAction, Indie, Adventure, SimulationSimulation
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price19.99 USD2.99 USD
Steam reviews95.3% positive (175,474 reviews)70% positive (10 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersEndnight Games LtdK² Game Studios

Side by side

The Forest vs The Garden Pub — FAQ

Should I play The Forest or The Garden Pub first?
If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before The Garden Pub (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 The Garden Pub 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 The Garden Pub have multiplayer like The Forest?
No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while The Garden Pub is listed as single-player only.
Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The Garden Pub doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
The Forest vs The Garden Pub — Verdict (2026) · imho.run