Choose POOLS
Choose POOLS if you want the Tracked Controller Support, VR Supported, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,169 Steam reviews back the pick.
POOLS vs nophenia
POOLS and nophenia 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. POOLS (2024) is 2 years older than nophenia (2026). nophenia scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than POOLS (95.6% 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 nophenia
Choose nophenia if you want an Indie, Simulation, and Casual game with DualShock Controller Support. On Steam, it's currently about 49% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,165 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both POOLS and nophenia sit in Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95.6% vs 96.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 POOLS |  nophenia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.79 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (3,169 reviews) | 96.7% positive (1,165 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Tensori | lane |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- POOLS (2024) is 2 years older than nophenia (2026).
- nophenia scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than POOLS (95.6% positive).
- nophenia is currently ~49% cheaper on Steam than POOLS (4.99 USD vs. 9.79 USD).
- Steam Deck: POOLS is Deck Verified, nophenia is Deck Playable.
POOLS vs nophenia — FAQ
- Which is better, POOLS or nophenia?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: POOLS sits at 95.6% positive (3,169 reviews), nophenia at 96.7% (1,165). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play POOLS or nophenia first?
- If you want chronology, POOLS (2024) came out before nophenia (2026). 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 POOLS and nophenia 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.