Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want the Tracked Controller Support and VR Supported side of the pairing. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Away From Life
The Forest and Away From Life both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Away From Life (2026). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Away From Life (79.6% 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 Away From Life
Choose Away From Life if you want a Massively Multiplayer, RPG, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 51% cheaper on the Steam Store. Away From Life launched in 2026.
Both The Forest and Away From Life sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op, 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 |  Away From Life | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.74 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 79.6% positive (49 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Cursor Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Away From Life (2026).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Away From Life (79.6% positive).
- Away From Life is currently ~51% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (9.74 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Forest vs Away From Life — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Away From Life first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Away From Life (2026). 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 Away From Life similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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.
- Do both The Forest and Away From Life have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Forest ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Away From Life ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.