Choose The Children of Clay
Choose The Children of Clay if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 2,459 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Children of Clay vs Anomalous Object
The Children of Clay and Anomalous Object both land in Indie, Adventure, 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 share Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam. The Children of Clay (2025) is 1 year older than Anomalous Object (2026). The Children of Clay is free; Anomalous Object is paid (Price unknown). 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 Anomalous Object
Choose Anomalous Object if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. Anomalous Object launched in 2026.
Both The Children of Clay and Anomalous Object sit in Indie, Adventure, and Simulation 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 Children of Clay |  Anomalous Object | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play | Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 98.8% positive (2,459 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Balazs Ronyai | AIXLAB |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- The Children of Clay (2025) is 1 year older than Anomalous Object (2026).
- The Children of Clay is free; Anomalous Object is paid (Price unknown).
The Children of Clay vs Anomalous Object — FAQ
- Should I play The Children of Clay or Anomalous Object first?
- If you want chronology, The Children of Clay (2025) came out before Anomalous Object (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 The Children of Clay and Anomalous Object similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, 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.
- Is The Children of Clay free?
- Yes — The Children of Clay is a free-to-play Steam title. Anomalous Object is paid (Price unknown).