Choose The Cat Machine
Choose The Cat Machine if it matches what drew you to this matchup. The Cat Machine launched in 2015.
The Cat Machine vs Save The Cat!
The Cat Machine and Save The Cat! both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. The Cat Machine (2015) is 11 years older than Save The Cat! (2026). The Cat Machine is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Save The Cat! has no Deck rating yet. 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 Save The Cat!
Choose Save The Cat! if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Save The Cat! launched in 2026.
Both The Cat Machine and Save The Cat! sit in Strategy 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
 The Cat Machine |  Save The Cat! | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 91.9% positive (99 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cranktrain | Simon Crab |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- The Cat Machine (2015) is 11 years older than Save The Cat! (2026).
- The Cat Machine is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Save The Cat! has no Deck rating yet.
The Cat Machine vs Save The Cat! — FAQ
- Should I play The Cat Machine or Save The Cat! first?
- If you want chronology, The Cat Machine (2015) came out before Save The Cat! (2026). 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 Cat Machine and Save The Cat! similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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 The Cat Machine run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Cat Machine is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Save The Cat! doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.