Choose The Westport Independent
Choose The Westport Independent if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Westport Independent launched in 2016.
The Westport Independent vs Beholder 2
The Westport Independent and Beholder 2 both land in Indie, 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, Simulation on Steam. The Westport Independent (2016) is 2 years older than Beholder 2 (2018). Beholder 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (82.4% positive) than The Westport Independent (75.6% 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 Beholder 2
Choose Beholder 2 if you want a Strategy and Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.4% positive across 1,028 reviews.
Both The Westport Independent and Beholder 2 sit in Indie 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 Westport Independent |  Beholder 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 17.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.6% positive (275 reviews) | 82.4% positive (1,028 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Double Zero One Zero | Alawar Stargaze (Warm Lamp Games) |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- The Westport Independent (2016) is 2 years older than Beholder 2 (2018).
- Beholder 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (82.4% positive) than The Westport Independent (75.6% positive).
- The Westport Independent is free; Beholder 2 is paid (17.99 USD).
- Beholder 2 is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Westport Independent has no Deck rating yet.
The Westport Independent vs Beholder 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, The Westport Independent or Beholder 2?
- On Steam reviews Beholder 2 scores higher (82.4% positive) than The Westport Independent (75.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Beholder 2 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 Westport Independent or Beholder 2 first?
- If you want chronology, The Westport Independent (2016) came out before Beholder 2 (2018). 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 Westport Independent and Beholder 2 similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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 Westport Independent free?
- Yes — The Westport Independent is a free-to-play Steam title. Beholder 2 is paid (17.99 USD).