IMHO.

Bulb Boy vs Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair

Bulb Boy and Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair both land in Indie, 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 share Indie, Adventure on Steam. Bulb Boy (2015) is 10 years older than Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair (2025). Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair scores higher on Steam reviews (91.2% positive) than Bulb Boy (87% 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 Bulb Boy

Choose Bulb Boy if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Bulb Boy launched in 2015.

Choose Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair

Choose Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair launched in 2025.

Both Bulb Boy and Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair sit in Indie and 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

Bulb Boy vs Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair — Steam metadata comparison
Bulb Boy — Steam game coverBulb BoyBulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair — Steam game coverBulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair
Released20152025
GenresIndie, AdventureIndie, Adventure
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows, macOS
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Verified
Price8.99 USD14.99 USD
Steam reviews87% positive (284 reviews)91.2% positive (34 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersBulbwareBulbware

Side by side

Bulb Boy vs Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair — FAQ

Should I play Bulb Boy or Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair first?
If you want chronology, Bulb Boy (2015) came out before Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair (2025). 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 Bulb Boy and Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair similar?
They overlap on Indie, 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.
Do Bulb Boy and Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair both run on Steam Deck?
Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.
Bulb Boy vs Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair — Verdict (2026) · imho.run