Choose The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Choose The Vanishing of Ethan Carter if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 4,130 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs The Painscreek Killings
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The Painscreek Killings 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 The Painscreek Killings (2017). The Painscreek Killings scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (86.4% 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 The Painscreek Killings
Choose The Painscreek Killings if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89% positive across 2,765 reviews.
Both The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The Painscreek Killings 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 |  The Painscreek Killings | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.4% positive (4,130 reviews) | 89% positive (2,765 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Astronauts | EQ Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) is 3 years older than The Painscreek Killings (2017).
- The Painscreek Killings scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (86.4% positive).
- The Painscreek Killings is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter vs The Painscreek Killings — FAQ
- Which is better, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter or The Painscreek Killings?
- On Steam reviews The Painscreek Killings scores higher (89% positive) than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (86.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Painscreek Killings 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 The Painscreek Killings first?
- If you want chronology, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) came out before The Painscreek Killings (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 The Painscreek Killings 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.