Choose Dark Fall: The Journal
Choose Dark Fall: The Journal if it's currently about 38% cheaper on the Steam Store. Dark Fall: The Journal launched in 2013.
Dark Fall: The Journal vs Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle
Dark Fall: The Journal and Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Dark Fall: The Journal (2013) is 3 years older than Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle (2016). Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle scores higher on Steam reviews (85.3% positive) than Dark Fall: The Journal (79.3% 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 Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle
Choose Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 85.3% positive across 129 reviews.
Both Dark Fall: The Journal and Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle sit in 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
 Dark Fall: The Journal |  Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Genres | Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.3% positive (184 reviews) | 85.3% positive (129 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Darkling Room | Shadow Tor Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Dark Fall: The Journal (2013) is 3 years older than Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle (2016).
- Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle scores higher on Steam reviews (85.3% positive) than Dark Fall: The Journal (79.3% positive).
- Dark Fall: The Journal is currently ~38% cheaper on Steam than Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle (4.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Dark Fall: The Journal is Deck Verified, Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle is Deck Playable.
Dark Fall: The Journal vs Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle — FAQ
- Which is better, Dark Fall: The Journal or Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle?
- On Steam reviews Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle scores higher (85.3% positive) than Dark Fall: The Journal (79.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Dark Fall: The Journal or Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle first?
- If you want chronology, Dark Fall: The Journal (2013) came out before Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle (2016). 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 Dark Fall: The Journal and Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle similar?
- They overlap on 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.