Choose Dark Times
Choose Dark Times if you want the Camera Comfort and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Dark Times launched in 2025.
Dark Times vs The Lurid Age
Dark Times and The Lurid Age both land in Strategy, Indie 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Dark Times (2025) is 1 year older than The Lurid Age (2026). The Lurid Age is free; Dark Times is paid (3.99 USD). 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 Lurid Age
Choose The Lurid Age if you want a Free To Play game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Lurid Age launched in 2026.
Both Dark Times and The Lurid Age sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Playable without Timed Input, Mouse Only Option, and Touch Only Option, 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
 Dark Times |  The Lurid Age | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 91.7% positive (12 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Gromov Studio | UncannyDevelopment |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Dark Times (2025) is 1 year older than The Lurid Age (2026).
- The Lurid Age is free; Dark Times is paid (3.99 USD).
Dark Times vs The Lurid Age — FAQ
- Should I play Dark Times or The Lurid Age first?
- If you want chronology, Dark Times (2025) came out before The Lurid Age (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 Dark Times and The Lurid Age similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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 Dark Times have multiplayer like The Lurid Age?
- No. The Lurid Age supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Dark Times is listed as single-player only.
- Is The Lurid Age free?
- Yes — The Lurid Age is a free-to-play Steam title. Dark Times is paid (3.99 USD).