Choose Tharsis
Choose Tharsis if you want an Indie, RPG, and Casual game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 63% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,210 Steam reviews back the pick.
Tharsis vs The Captain is Dead
Tharsis and The Captain is Dead both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Tharsis (2016) is 5 years older than The Captain is Dead (2021). The Captain is Dead scores higher on Steam reviews (80.3% positive) than Tharsis (71.7% 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 The Captain is Dead
Choose The Captain is Dead if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Captain is Dead launched in 2021.
Both Tharsis and The Captain is Dead sit in Strategy 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
 Tharsis |  The Captain is Dead | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG, Casual | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 7.49 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.7% positive (1,210 reviews) | 80.3% positive (61 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Choice Provisions | Thunderbox Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Tharsis (2016) is 5 years older than The Captain is Dead (2021).
- The Captain is Dead scores higher on Steam reviews (80.3% positive) than Tharsis (71.7% positive).
- Tharsis is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than The Captain is Dead (7.49 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- The Captain is Dead has co-op; Tharsis does not.
- Both are Deck Verified.
Tharsis vs The Captain is Dead — FAQ
- Should I play Tharsis or The Captain is Dead first?
- If you want chronology, Tharsis (2016) came out before The Captain is Dead (2021). 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 Tharsis and The Captain is Dead similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 Tharsis have multiplayer like The Captain is Dead?
- No. The Captain is Dead supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Tharsis is listed as single-player only.
- Do Tharsis and The Captain is Dead both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.