IMHO.

The Darkside Detective vs Tick's Tales

The Darkside Detective and Tick's Tales both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Tick's Tales (2016) is 1 year older than The Darkside Detective (2017). The Darkside Detective scores higher on Steam reviews (94.2% positive) than Tick's Tales (87.5% 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 The Darkside Detective

Choose The Darkside Detective if you want an Indie and Casual game with Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,987 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Tick's Tales

Choose Tick's Tales if it's currently about 47% cheaper on the Steam Store. Tick's Tales launched in 2016.

Both The Darkside Detective and Tick's Tales sit in 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

The Darkside Detective vs Tick's Tales — Steam metadata comparison
The Darkside Detective — Steam game coverThe Darkside DetectiveTick's Tales — Steam game coverTick's Tales
Released20172016
GenresIndie, Adventure, CasualAdventure
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price14.99 USD7.99 USD
Steam reviews94.2% positive (1,987 reviews)87.5% positive (16 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersSpooky DoorwayDigital Bounce House

Side by side

The Darkside Detective vs Tick's Tales — FAQ

Should I play The Darkside Detective or Tick's Tales first?
If you want chronology, Tick's Tales (2016) came out before The Darkside Detective (2017). 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 Darkside Detective and Tick's Tales similar?
They overlap on 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 The Darkside Detective run on Steam Deck?
Yes — The Darkside Detective is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Tick's Tales doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
The Darkside Detective vs Tick's Tales — Verdict (2026) · imho.run