Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want an Indie game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.3% positive across 175,474 reviews.
The Forest vs Outbreak Island: Pendulum
The Forest and Outbreak Island: Pendulum both land in Action, Adventure, 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 share Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 4 years older than Outbreak Island: Pendulum (2022). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Outbreak Island: Pendulum (58.8% 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 Outbreak Island: Pendulum
Choose Outbreak Island: Pendulum if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Outbreak Island: Pendulum launched in 2022.
Both The Forest and Outbreak Island: Pendulum sit in Action, Adventure, and 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 |  Outbreak Island: Pendulum | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 58.8% positive (250 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Tiny Magicians |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 4 years older than Outbreak Island: Pendulum (2022).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Outbreak Island: Pendulum (58.8% positive).
- Outbreak Island: Pendulum is free; The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Outbreak Island: Pendulum does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Forest vs Outbreak Island: Pendulum — FAQ
- Which is better, The Forest or Outbreak Island: Pendulum?
- On Steam reviews The Forest scores higher (95.3% positive) than Outbreak Island: Pendulum (58.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Forest is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Forest or Outbreak Island: Pendulum first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Outbreak Island: Pendulum (2022). 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 Outbreak Island: Pendulum similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, 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 Outbreak Island: Pendulum have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Outbreak Island: Pendulum is listed as single-player only.
- Is Outbreak Island: Pendulum free?
- Yes — Outbreak Island: Pendulum is a free-to-play Steam title. The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).