Choose Near Death
Choose Near Death if you want an Action, Indie, and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Near Death launched in 2016.
Near Death vs Penguin Lifter
Near Death and Penguin Lifter 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. Near Death (2016) is 10 years older than Penguin Lifter (2026). Both sit near 92% positive on Steam (Near Death: 668 reviews, Penguin Lifter: 64). 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 Penguin Lifter
Choose Penguin Lifter if it's currently about 38% cheaper on the Steam Store. Penguin Lifter launched in 2026.
Both Near Death and Penguin Lifter sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (91.6% vs 92.2% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Near Death |  Penguin Lifter | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (668 reviews) | 92.2% positive (64 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Orthogonal Games | Peace_Studio, DonCorsaire |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Near Death (2016) is 10 years older than Penguin Lifter (2026).
- Both sit near 92% positive on Steam (Near Death: 668 reviews, Penguin Lifter: 64).
- Penguin Lifter is currently ~38% cheaper on Steam than Near Death (4.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD).
- Near Death is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Penguin Lifter has no Deck rating yet.
Near Death vs Penguin Lifter — FAQ
- Should I play Near Death or Penguin Lifter first?
- If you want chronology, Near Death (2016) came out before Penguin Lifter (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 Near Death and Penguin Lifter 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.
- Does Near Death run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Near Death is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Penguin Lifter doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.