Choose The Howler
Choose The Howler if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Howler launched in 2014.
The Howler vs Gears of Freedom
The Howler and Gears of Freedom both land in Indie, Simulation, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. The Howler (2014) is 12 years older than Gears of Freedom (2026). The Howler is free; Gears of Freedom is paid (Price unknown). 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 Gears of Freedom
Choose Gears of Freedom if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Gears of Freedom launched in 2026.
Both The Howler and Gears of Freedom sit in Indie, Simulation, and Casual 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 Howler |  Gears of Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 73.3% positive (688 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Antanas Marcelionis, Renė Petrulienė | Witz Games |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- The Howler (2014) is 12 years older than Gears of Freedom (2026).
- The Howler is free; Gears of Freedom is paid (Price unknown).
The Howler vs Gears of Freedom — FAQ
- Should I play The Howler or Gears of Freedom first?
- If you want chronology, The Howler (2014) came out before Gears of Freedom (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 The Howler and Gears of Freedom similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, Casual 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 Howler free?
- Yes — The Howler is a free-to-play Steam title. Gears of Freedom is paid (Price unknown).