IMHO.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs Kona

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and Kona both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) is 3 years older than Kona (2017). The Vanishing of Ethan Carter scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Kona (81.9% 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 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Choose The Vanishing of Ethan Carter if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 86.4% positive across 4,130 reviews.

Choose Kona

Choose Kona if it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,473 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and Kona sit in 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 Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs Kona — Steam metadata comparison
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter — Steam game coverThe Vanishing of Ethan CarterKona — Steam game coverKona
Released20142017
GenresIndie, AdventureIndie, Adventure
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Verified
Price19.99 USD14.99 USD
Steam reviews86.4% positive (4,130 reviews)81.9% positive (1,473 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersThe AstronautsParabole

Side by side

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs Kona — FAQ

Which is better, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter or Kona?
On Steam reviews The Vanishing of Ethan Carter scores higher (86.4% positive) than Kona (81.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter 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 Vanishing of Ethan Carter or Kona first?
If you want chronology, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) came out before Kona (2017). 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 Kona similar?
They overlap on 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.