Choose Near Death
Choose Near Death if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Near Death launched in 2016.
Near Death vs Santa Claws
Near Death and Santa Claws both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Near Death (2016) is 3 years older than Santa Claws (2019). Near Death scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Santa Claws (75.3% 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 Santa Claws
Choose Santa Claws if it's currently about 88% cheaper on the Steam Store. Santa Claws launched in 2019.
Both Near Death and Santa Claws sit in Action, 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
 Near Death |  Santa Claws | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (668 reviews) | 75.3% positive (73 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Orthogonal Games | Adam DeLease |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Near Death (2016) is 3 years older than Santa Claws (2019).
- Near Death scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Santa Claws (75.3% positive).
- Santa Claws is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than Near Death (0.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD).
- Near Death is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Santa Claws has no Deck rating yet.
Near Death vs Santa Claws — FAQ
- Should I play Near Death or Santa Claws first?
- If you want chronology, Near Death (2016) came out before Santa Claws (2019). 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 Santa Claws similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Does Near Death run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Near Death is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Santa Claws doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.