Choose The Cursed Forest
Choose The Cursed Forest if you want an Indie experience. The Cursed Forest launched in 2019.
The Cursed Forest vs POOLS
The Cursed Forest and POOLS both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. The Cursed Forest (2019) is 5 years older than POOLS (2024). POOLS scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than The Cursed Forest (88% 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 POOLS
Choose POOLS if you want the Tracked Controller Support, VR Supported, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.6% positive across 3,169 reviews.
Both The Cursed Forest and POOLS sit in 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
 The Cursed Forest |  POOLS | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 13.99 USD | 9.79 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88% positive (317 reviews) | 95.6% positive (3,169 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | KPy3O, Noostyche | Tensori |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- The Cursed Forest (2019) is 5 years older than POOLS (2024).
- POOLS scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than The Cursed Forest (88% positive).
- POOLS is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than The Cursed Forest (9.79 USD vs. 13.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Cursed Forest is Deck Playable, POOLS is Deck Verified.
The Cursed Forest vs POOLS — FAQ
- Which is better, The Cursed Forest or POOLS?
- On Steam reviews POOLS scores higher (95.6% positive) than The Cursed Forest (88% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, POOLS is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Cursed Forest or POOLS first?
- If you want chronology, The Cursed Forest (2019) came out before POOLS (2024). 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 The Cursed Forest and POOLS similar?
- They overlap on 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.