Choose The Thing That Happened
Choose The Thing That Happened if you want an Early Access experience. The Thing That Happened launched in 2024.
The Thing That Happened vs Qume: Echoes of Sand
The Thing That Happened and Qume: Echoes of Sand both land in Action, Indie, 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Thing That Happened (2024) is 1 year older than Qume: Echoes of Sand (2025). Qume: Echoes of Sand is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than The Thing That Happened (8.99 USD vs. 11.99 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 Qume: Echoes of Sand
Choose Qume: Echoes of Sand if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. Qume: Echoes of Sand launched in 2025.
Both The Thing That Happened and Qume: Echoes of Sand sit in Action, Indie, 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
 The Thing That Happened |  Qume: Echoes of Sand | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 8.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 3 reviews | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mario Murkl, Zoltán Árva | Abyscon |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Thing That Happened (2024) is 1 year older than Qume: Echoes of Sand (2025).
- Qume: Echoes of Sand is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than The Thing That Happened (8.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
The Thing That Happened vs Qume: Echoes of Sand — FAQ
- Should I play The Thing That Happened or Qume: Echoes of Sand first?
- If you want chronology, The Thing That Happened (2024) came out before Qume: Echoes of Sand (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 The Thing That Happened and Qume: Echoes of Sand similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.