Choose Fran Bow
Choose Fran Bow if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 8,241 Steam reviews back the pick.
Fran Bow vs Cave of Illusions
Fran Bow and Cave of Illusions 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. Fran Bow (2015) is 4 years older than Cave of Illusions (2019). Fran Bow scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Cave of Illusions (70% 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 Cave of Illusions
Choose Cave of Illusions if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cave of Illusions launched in 2019.
Both Fran Bow and Cave of Illusions 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
 Fran Bow |  Cave of Illusions | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.7% positive (8,241 reviews) | 70% positive (20 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Killmonday Games AB | Vidas Salavejus |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Fran Bow (2015) is 4 years older than Cave of Illusions (2019).
- Fran Bow scores higher on Steam reviews (96.7% positive) than Cave of Illusions (70% positive).
- Cave of Illusions is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Fran Bow (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Fran Bow is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Cave of Illusions has no Deck rating yet.
Fran Bow vs Cave of Illusions — FAQ
- Should I play Fran Bow or Cave of Illusions first?
- If you want chronology, Fran Bow (2015) came out before Cave of Illusions (2019). 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 Fran Bow and Cave of Illusions 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 Fran Bow run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Fran Bow is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Cave of Illusions doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.