Choose Slender: The Arrival
Choose Slender: The Arrival if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. 3,482 Steam reviews back the pick.
Slender: The Arrival vs T.A.R.S
Slender: The Arrival and T.A.R.S 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. Slender: The Arrival (2013) is 7 years older than T.A.R.S (2020). T.A.R.S is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Slender: The Arrival (1.99 USD vs. 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 T.A.R.S
Choose T.A.R.S if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. T.A.R.S launched in 2020.
Both Slender: The Arrival and T.A.R.S 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
 Slender: The Arrival |  T.A.R.S | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.9% positive (3,482 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Blue Isle Studios | GreatherGames |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Slender: The Arrival (2013) is 7 years older than T.A.R.S (2020).
- T.A.R.S is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Slender: The Arrival (1.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Slender: The Arrival is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; T.A.R.S has no Deck rating yet.
Slender: The Arrival vs T.A.R.S — FAQ
- Should I play Slender: The Arrival or T.A.R.S first?
- If you want chronology, Slender: The Arrival (2013) came out before T.A.R.S (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 Slender: The Arrival and T.A.R.S 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 Slender: The Arrival run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Slender: The Arrival is rated Deck Playable by Valve. T.A.R.S doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.