Choose ABZU
Choose ABZU if you want an Adventure and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 9,748 Steam reviews back the pick.
ABZU vs Varius
ABZU and Varius both land in Indie, Casual 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. ABZU (2016) is 2 years older than Varius (2018). Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (ABZU: 9,748 reviews, Varius: 13). 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 Varius
Choose Varius if it's currently about 95% cheaper on the Steam Store. Varius launched in 2018.
Both ABZU and Varius sit in Indie and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (93.2% vs 92.3% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 ABZU |  Varius | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.2% positive (9,748 reviews) | 92.3% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Giant Squid | Fish Tank Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- ABZU (2016) is 2 years older than Varius (2018).
- Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (ABZU: 9,748 reviews, Varius: 13).
- Varius is currently ~95% cheaper on Steam than ABZU (0.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- ABZU is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Varius has no Deck rating yet.
ABZU vs Varius — FAQ
- Should I play ABZU or Varius first?
- If you want chronology, ABZU (2016) came out before Varius (2018). 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 ABZU and Varius similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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 ABZU run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — ABZU is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Varius doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.