Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want the Tracked Controller Support and VR Supported side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.3% positive across 175,474 reviews.
The Forest vs Start Over
The Forest and Start Over 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 6 years older than Start Over (2024). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Start Over (62.6% 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 Start Over
Choose Start Over if it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. Start Over launched in 2024.
Both The Forest and Start Over 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 |  Start Over | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 62.6% positive (235 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | EY-Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 6 years older than Start Over (2024).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Start Over (62.6% positive).
- Start Over is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Forest vs Start Over — FAQ
- Which is better, The Forest or Start Over?
- On Steam reviews The Forest scores higher (95.3% positive) than Start Over (62.6% 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 Start Over first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Start Over (2024). 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 Start Over 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 Start Over have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Forest ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Start Over ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.