Choose Journal
Choose Journal if you want an Adventure experience. Journal launched in 2014.
Journal vs Buried
Journal and Buried 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. Journal (2014) is 8 years older than Buried (2022). Buried is free; Journal is paid (9.99 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 Buried
Choose Buried if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Buried launched in 2022.
Both Journal and Buried 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
 Journal |  Buried | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 81.1% positive (238 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Locked Door Puzzle | NextDoorDev Games |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Journal (2014) is 8 years older than Buried (2022).
- Buried is free; Journal is paid (9.99 USD).
- Buried is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Journal has no Deck rating yet.
Journal vs Buried — FAQ
- Should I play Journal or Buried first?
- If you want chronology, Journal (2014) came out before Buried (2022). 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 Journal and Buried 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.
- Is Buried free?
- Yes — Buried is a free-to-play Steam title. Journal is paid (9.99 USD).