IMHO.

Prison Alone vs The Strange Lights

Prison Alone and The Strange Lights both land in 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Prison Alone (2024) is 2 years older than The Strange Lights (2026). The Strange Lights scores higher on Steam reviews (85.2% positive) than Prison Alone (72.7% 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 Prison Alone

Choose Prison Alone if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Prison Alone launched in 2024.

Choose The Strange Lights

Choose The Strange Lights if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Strange Lights launched in 2026.

Both Prison Alone and The Strange Lights sit in 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

Prison Alone vs The Strange Lights — Steam metadata comparison
Prison Alone — Steam game coverPrison AloneThe Strange Lights — Steam game coverThe Strange Lights
Released20242026
GenresIndie, AdventureIndie, Adventure, Simulation
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
Price4.99 USD3.49 USD
Steam reviews72.7% positive (11 reviews)85.2% positive (61 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersGaister StudiosJustTomcuk

Side by side

Prison Alone vs The Strange Lights — FAQ

Should I play Prison Alone or The Strange Lights first?
If you want chronology, Prison Alone (2024) came out before The Strange Lights (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 Prison Alone and The Strange Lights similar?
They overlap on 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.
Prison Alone vs The Strange Lights — Verdict (2026) · imho.run