Choose The Council
Choose The Council if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 2,707 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Council vs Pentiment
The Council and Pentiment 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. The Council (2018) is 4 years older than Pentiment (2022). Pentiment scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than The Council (79.6% 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 Pentiment
Choose Pentiment if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.7% positive across 4,985 reviews.
Both The Council and Pentiment 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
 The Council |  Pentiment | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Genres | Adventure, RPG | Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.6% positive (2,707 reviews) | 94.7% positive (4,985 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Big Bad Wolf | Obsidian Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- The Council (2018) is 4 years older than Pentiment (2022).
- Pentiment scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than The Council (79.6% positive).
- The Council is free; Pentiment is paid (19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Council is Deck Playable, Pentiment is Deck Verified.
The Council vs Pentiment — FAQ
- Which is better, The Council or Pentiment?
- On Steam reviews Pentiment scores higher (94.7% positive) than The Council (79.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Pentiment is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Council or Pentiment first?
- If you want chronology, The Council (2018) came out before Pentiment (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 The Council and Pentiment 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.
- Is The Council free?
- Yes — The Council is a free-to-play Steam title. Pentiment is paid (19.99 USD).