Choose Downwell
Choose Downwell if you want a Casual game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. 5,174 Steam reviews back the pick.
Downwell vs Alkali
Downwell and Alkali both land in Action, Indie, 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 share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Downwell (2015) is 7 years older than Alkali (2022). Alkali scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Downwell (96.9% 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 Alkali
Choose Alkali if it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Alkali launched in 2022.
Both Downwell and Alkali sit in Action, Indie, and 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
 Downwell |  Alkali | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.9% positive (5,174 reviews) | 100% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Moppin | Sleipner Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Downwell (2015) is 7 years older than Alkali (2022).
- Alkali scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Downwell (96.9% positive).
- Downwell is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Alkali (2.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- Downwell is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Alkali has no Deck rating yet.
Downwell vs Alkali — FAQ
- Should I play Downwell or Alkali first?
- If you want chronology, Downwell (2015) came out before Alkali (2022). 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 Downwell and Alkali similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Does Downwell run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Downwell is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Alkali doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.