Choose The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Choose The Vanishing of Ethan Carter if you want an Adventure experience. 4,130 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs The 4th Wall
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The 4th Wall both land in Indie 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 are Indie games on Steam. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) is 10 years older than The 4th Wall (2024). The 4th Wall is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (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 The 4th Wall
Choose The 4th Wall if it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. The 4th Wall launched in 2024.
Both The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The 4th Wall sit in Indie 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 Vanishing of Ethan Carter |  The 4th Wall | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.4% positive (4,130 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Astronauts | GZ Storm |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) is 10 years older than The 4th Wall (2024).
- The 4th Wall is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (1.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The 4th Wall has no Deck rating yet.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs The 4th Wall — FAQ
- Should I play The Vanishing of Ethan Carter or The 4th Wall first?
- If you want chronology, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) came out before The 4th Wall (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 Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The 4th Wall similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The 4th Wall doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.