Choose Mini Metro
Choose Mini Metro if you want a Strategy game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 6,926 Steam reviews back the pick.
Mini Metro vs Against the Gradient
Mini Metro and Against the Gradient both land in Indie, Simulation 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 Indie, Simulation on Steam. Mini Metro (2015) is 2 years older than Against the Gradient (2017). Against the Gradient is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Mini Metro (2.99 USD vs. 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 Against the Gradient
Choose Against the Gradient if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. Against the Gradient launched in 2017.
Both Mini Metro and Against the Gradient sit in Indie and Simulation 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
 Mini Metro |  Against the Gradient | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.8% positive (6,926 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dinosaur Polo Club | Cogent Education |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Mini Metro (2015) is 2 years older than Against the Gradient (2017).
- Against the Gradient is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Mini Metro (2.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Mini Metro is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Against the Gradient has no Deck rating yet.
Mini Metro vs Against the Gradient — FAQ
- Should I play Mini Metro or Against the Gradient first?
- If you want chronology, Mini Metro (2015) came out before Against the Gradient (2017). 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 Mini Metro and Against the Gradient similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation 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.
- Does Mini Metro run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Mini Metro is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Against the Gradient doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.