Choose Where it all Began - Season 1
Choose Where it all Began - Season 1 if you want an Early Access game with Subtitle Options and Stereo Sound. Where it all Began - Season 1 launched in 2025.
Where it all Began - Season 1 vs Heatwave: Sam's Stay
Where it all Began - Season 1 and Heatwave: Sam's Stay both land in Indie, Simulation, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Where it all Began - Season 1 (2025) is 1 year older than Heatwave: Sam's Stay (2026). Heatwave: Sam's Stay scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Where it all Began - Season 1 (88.5% 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 Heatwave: Sam's Stay
Choose Heatwave: Sam's Stay if you want an Adventure game with Color Alternatives and Camera Comfort. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.8% positive across 382 reviews.
Both Where it all Began - Season 1 and Heatwave: Sam's Stay sit in Indie, Simulation, and RPG on Steam and both list Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Keyboard Only Option, 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
 Where it all Began - Season 1 |  Heatwave: Sam's Stay | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, RPG, Early Access | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.95 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.5% positive (191 reviews) | 94.8% positive (382 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | OceanAVN | CodyFord |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- Where it all Began - Season 1 (2025) is 1 year older than Heatwave: Sam's Stay (2026).
- Heatwave: Sam's Stay scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Where it all Began - Season 1 (88.5% positive).
- Heatwave: Sam's Stay is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Where it all Began - Season 1 (9.95 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Where it all Began - Season 1 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Heatwave: Sam's Stay has no Deck rating yet.
Where it all Began - Season 1 vs Heatwave: Sam's Stay — FAQ
- Which is better, Where it all Began - Season 1 or Heatwave: Sam's Stay?
- On Steam reviews Heatwave: Sam's Stay scores higher (94.8% positive) than Where it all Began - Season 1 (88.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Heatwave: Sam's Stay is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Where it all Began - Season 1 or Heatwave: Sam's Stay first?
- If you want chronology, Where it all Began - Season 1 (2025) came out before Heatwave: Sam's Stay (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 Where it all Began - Season 1 and Heatwave: Sam's Stay similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, RPG 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 Where it all Began - Season 1 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Where it all Began - Season 1 is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Heatwave: Sam's Stay doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.