Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want a Simulation 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 Vortex: The Gateway
The Forest and Vortex: The Gateway 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. Vortex: The Gateway (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% 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 Vortex: The Gateway
Choose Vortex: The Gateway if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Vortex: The Gateway launched in 2016.
Both The Forest and Vortex: The Gateway sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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 |  Vortex: The Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 53.9% positive (102 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | StormCube Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Vortex: The Gateway (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% positive).
- Vortex: The Gateway is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Vortex: The Gateway does not.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Vortex: The Gateway has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs Vortex: The Gateway — FAQ
- Which is better, The Forest or Vortex: The Gateway?
- On Steam reviews The Forest scores higher (95.3% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% 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 Vortex: The Gateway first?
- If you want chronology, Vortex: The Gateway (2016) came out before The Forest (2018). 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 Vortex: The Gateway 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.
- Does Vortex: The Gateway have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Vortex: The Gateway is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Vortex: The Gateway doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.