Choose CleanFall
Choose CleanFall if you want an Indie, Simulation, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. CleanFall launched in 2025.
CleanFall vs The Ember Guardian
CleanFall and The Ember Guardian both land in Action, Strategy, 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 Action, Strategy, Adventure on Steam. CleanFall (2025) is 1 year older than The Ember Guardian (2026). CleanFall scores higher on Steam reviews (95.5% positive) than The Ember Guardian (82.7% 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 Ember Guardian
Choose The Ember Guardian if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The Ember Guardian launched in 2026.
Both CleanFall and The Ember Guardian sit in Action, Strategy, 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
 CleanFall |  The Ember Guardian | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Early Access | Action, Strategy, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.5% positive (179 reviews) | 82.7% positive (75 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Humanyoyo | Ratbit Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Adventure on Steam.
- CleanFall (2025) is 1 year older than The Ember Guardian (2026).
- CleanFall scores higher on Steam reviews (95.5% positive) than The Ember Guardian (82.7% positive).
- CleanFall is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than The Ember Guardian (11.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: CleanFall is Deck Playable, The Ember Guardian is Deck Verified.
CleanFall vs The Ember Guardian — FAQ
- Should I play CleanFall or The Ember Guardian first?
- If you want chronology, CleanFall (2025) came out before The Ember Guardian (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 CleanFall and The Ember Guardian similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.