Choose An Octave Higher
Choose An Octave Higher if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. An Octave Higher launched in 2015.
An Octave Higher vs Empty Horizons
An Octave Higher and Empty Horizons both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. An Octave Higher (2015) is 1 year older than Empty Horizons (2016). Empty Horizons scores higher on Steam reviews (89.7% positive) than An Octave Higher (79.7% 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 Empty Horizons
Choose Empty Horizons if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Empty Horizons launched in 2016.
Both An Octave Higher and Empty Horizons sit in Indie 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
 An Octave Higher |  Empty Horizons | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.7% positive (212 reviews) | 89.7% positive (58 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Kidalang | ebi-hime |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- An Octave Higher (2015) is 1 year older than Empty Horizons (2016).
- Empty Horizons scores higher on Steam reviews (89.7% positive) than An Octave Higher (79.7% positive).
- Empty Horizons is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than An Octave Higher (2.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- An Octave Higher is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Empty Horizons has no Deck rating yet.
An Octave Higher vs Empty Horizons — FAQ
- Should I play An Octave Higher or Empty Horizons first?
- If you want chronology, An Octave Higher (2015) came out before Empty Horizons (2016). 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 An Octave Higher and Empty Horizons similar?
- They overlap on 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 An Octave Higher run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — An Octave Higher is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Empty Horizons doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.