Choose Hatoful Boyfriend
Choose Hatoful Boyfriend if you want an Indie and Casual experience. 4,192 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hatoful Boyfriend vs The Thing With Mistletoes
Hatoful Boyfriend and The Thing With Mistletoes both land in Simulation 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 are Simulation games on Steam. Hatoful Boyfriend (2014) is 3 years older than The Thing With Mistletoes (2017). Hatoful Boyfriend scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than The Thing With Mistletoes (72.9% 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 The Thing With Mistletoes
Choose The Thing With Mistletoes if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Thing With Mistletoes launched in 2017.
Both Hatoful Boyfriend and The Thing With Mistletoes sit in Simulation 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
 Hatoful Boyfriend |  The Thing With Mistletoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (4,192 reviews) | 72.9% positive (70 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mediatonic, Hato Moa | Ran |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Hatoful Boyfriend (2014) is 3 years older than The Thing With Mistletoes (2017).
- Hatoful Boyfriend scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than The Thing With Mistletoes (72.9% positive).
- The Thing With Mistletoes is free; Hatoful Boyfriend is paid (9.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Hatoful Boyfriend is Deck Playable, The Thing With Mistletoes is Deck Verified.
Hatoful Boyfriend vs The Thing With Mistletoes — FAQ
- Should I play Hatoful Boyfriend or The Thing With Mistletoes first?
- If you want chronology, Hatoful Boyfriend (2014) came out before The Thing With Mistletoes (2017). 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 Hatoful Boyfriend and The Thing With Mistletoes similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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 Thing With Mistletoes free?
- Yes — The Thing With Mistletoes is a free-to-play Steam title. Hatoful Boyfriend is paid (9.99 USD).