Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want an Action and Adventure game with Online Co-op, Tracked Controller Support, and VR Supported. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Factory Island
The Forest and Factory Island both land in Indie, 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 Indie, Simulation on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Factory Island (2026). Factory Island is free; The Forest is paid (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 Factory Island
Choose Factory Island if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Factory Island launched in 2026.
Both The Forest and Factory Island sit in Indie and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, LAN Co-op, and 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 |  Factory Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Sakii |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Factory Island (2026).
- Factory Island is free; The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Factory Island has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs Factory Island — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Factory Island first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Factory Island (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 Factory Island similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.
- Do both The Forest and Factory Island have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Forest ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Factory Island ships LAN Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Factory Island free?
- Yes — Factory Island is a free-to-play Steam title. The Forest is paid (19.99 USD).
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Factory Island doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.