Choose Banished
Choose Banished if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 25,649 Steam reviews back the pick.
Banished vs Indie Dev Simulator
Banished and Indie Dev Simulator both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam. Banished (2014) is 6 years older than Indie Dev Simulator (2020). Banished scores higher on Steam reviews (90% positive) than Indie Dev Simulator (59.4% 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 Indie Dev Simulator
Choose Indie Dev Simulator if it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. Indie Dev Simulator launched in 2020.
Both Banished and Indie Dev Simulator sit in Strategy, Indie, 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
 Banished |  Indie Dev Simulator | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive (25,649 reviews) | 59.4% positive (32 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Shining Rock Software LLC | Egor Magurin, Shilov |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Banished (2014) is 6 years older than Indie Dev Simulator (2020).
- Banished scores higher on Steam reviews (90% positive) than Indie Dev Simulator (59.4% positive).
- Indie Dev Simulator is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Banished (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Banished is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Indie Dev Simulator has no Deck rating yet.
Banished vs Indie Dev Simulator — FAQ
- Should I play Banished or Indie Dev Simulator first?
- If you want chronology, Banished (2014) came out before Indie Dev Simulator (2020). 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 Banished and Indie Dev Simulator similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.
- Does Banished run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Banished is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Indie Dev Simulator doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.