Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Arctic alive
The Forest and Arctic alive 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. Arctic alive (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018). The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Arctic alive (45.5% 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 Arctic alive
Choose Arctic alive if it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. Arctic alive launched in 2016.
Both The Forest and Arctic alive 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 |  Arctic alive | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | 45.5% positive (44 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | Tort |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Arctic alive (2016) is 2 years older than The Forest (2018).
- The Forest scores higher on Steam reviews (95.3% positive) than Arctic alive (45.5% positive).
- Arctic alive is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than The Forest (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Forest has co-op; Arctic alive does not.
- Steam Deck: The Forest is Deck Playable, Arctic alive is Deck Unsupported.
The Forest vs Arctic alive — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Arctic alive first?
- If you want chronology, Arctic alive (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 Arctic alive 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 Arctic alive have multiplayer like The Forest?
- No. The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Arctic alive is listed as single-player only.