Choose Hard West
Choose Hard West if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 73.7% positive across 2,209 reviews.
Hard West vs I am not a Monster: First Contact
Hard West and I am not a Monster: First Contact both land in Strategy, Indie, 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 Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. Hard West (2015) is 3 years older than I am not a Monster: First Contact (2018). Hard West scores higher on Steam reviews (73.7% positive) than I am not a Monster: First Contact (68.9% 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 I am not a Monster: First Contact
Choose I am not a Monster: First Contact if it's currently about 45% cheaper on the Steam Store. I am not a Monster: First Contact launched in 2018.
Both Hard West and I am not a Monster: First Contact sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG 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
 Hard West |  I am not a Monster: First Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 10.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.7% positive (2,209 reviews) | 68.9% positive (177 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | CreativeForge Games | Cheerdealers |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Hard West (2015) is 3 years older than I am not a Monster: First Contact (2018).
- Hard West scores higher on Steam reviews (73.7% positive) than I am not a Monster: First Contact (68.9% positive).
- I am not a Monster: First Contact is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than Hard West (10.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Hard West vs I am not a Monster: First Contact — FAQ
- Which is better, Hard West or I am not a Monster: First Contact?
- On Steam reviews Hard West scores higher (73.7% positive) than I am not a Monster: First Contact (68.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Hard West is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Hard West or I am not a Monster: First Contact first?
- If you want chronology, Hard West (2015) came out before I am not a Monster: First Contact (2018). 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 Hard West and I am not a Monster: First Contact similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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.