IMHO.

Volume vs Contract Work

Volume and Contract Work both land in Action, 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 share Action, Indie on Steam. Volume (2015) is 4 years older than Contract Work (2019). Contract Work is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Volume (4.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD). 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 Volume

Choose Volume if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Volume launched in 2015.

Choose Contract Work

Choose Contract Work if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Contract Work launched in 2019.

Both Volume and Contract Work sit in Action and 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

Volume vs Contract Work — Steam metadata comparison
Volume — Steam game coverVolumeContract Work — Steam game coverContract Work
Released20152019
GenresAction, IndieAction, Indie, Early Access
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price4.99 USD4.99 USD
Steam reviews80.9% positive (267 reviews)3 reviews
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersBithell GamesIterative Games

Side by side

Volume vs Contract Work — FAQ

Should I play Volume or Contract Work first?
If you want chronology, Volume (2015) came out before Contract Work (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 Volume and Contract Work similar?
They overlap on Action, 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 Volume run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Volume is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Contract Work doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Volume vs Contract Work — Verdict (2026) · imho.run