Staring Contest vs Awkward Valley
Staring Contest and Awkward Valley both land in Simulation, Casual 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 Simulation, Casual on Steam. Staring Contest (2023) is 2 years older than Awkward Valley (2025). Awkward Valley is free; Staring Contest is paid (4.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 Staring Contest |  Awkward Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 2 reviews | 97.3% positive (73 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | acrillydev | Gallbladder |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Staring Contest (2023) is 2 years older than Awkward Valley (2025).
- Awkward Valley is free; Staring Contest is paid (4.99 USD).
Staring Contest vs Awkward Valley — FAQ
- Should I play Staring Contest or Awkward Valley first?
- If you want chronology, Staring Contest (2023) came out before Awkward Valley (2025). 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 Staring Contest and Awkward Valley similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, Casual 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 Awkward Valley free?
- Yes — Awkward Valley is a free-to-play Steam title. Staring Contest is paid (4.99 USD).