Choose Layers of Fear (2016)
Choose Layers of Fear (2016) if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.2% positive across 5,082 reviews.
Layers of Fear (2016) vs Layers of Fear 2 (2019)
Layers of Fear (2016) and Layers of Fear 2 (2019) 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. Layers of Fear (2016) (2016) is 3 years older than Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (2019). Layers of Fear (2016) scores higher on Steam reviews (87.2% positive) than Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (71.2% 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 Layers of Fear 2 (2019)
Choose Layers of Fear 2 (2019) if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Layers of Fear 2 (2019) launched in 2019.
Both Layers of Fear (2016) and Layers of Fear 2 (2019) 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
 Layers of Fear (2016) |  Layers of Fear 2 (2019) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.2% positive (5,082 reviews) | 71.2% positive (771 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bloober Team SA | Bloober Team SA |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Layers of Fear (2016) (2016) is 3 years older than Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (2019).
- Layers of Fear (2016) scores higher on Steam reviews (87.2% positive) than Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (71.2% positive).
- Layers of Fear 2 (2019) is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Layers of Fear (2016) (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Layers of Fear (2016) vs Layers of Fear 2 (2019) — FAQ
- Which is better, Layers of Fear (2016) or Layers of Fear 2 (2019)?
- On Steam reviews Layers of Fear (2016) scores higher (87.2% positive) than Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (71.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Layers of Fear (2016) is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Layers of Fear (2016) or Layers of Fear 2 (2019) first?
- If you want chronology, Layers of Fear (2016) (2016) came out before Layers of Fear 2 (2019) (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 Layers of Fear (2016) and Layers of Fear 2 (2019) 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.