Choose Californium
Choose Californium if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Californium launched in 2016.
Californium vs GlitchPets
Californium and GlitchPets both land in Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Californium (2016) is 2 years older than GlitchPets (2018). GlitchPets scores higher on Steam reviews (75% positive) than Californium (69.1% 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 GlitchPets
Choose GlitchPets if you want an Action and Early Access game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 86% cheaper on the Steam Store. GlitchPets launched in 2018.
Both Californium and GlitchPets sit in Indie, Adventure, and Simulation 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
 Californium |  GlitchPets | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.1% positive (178 reviews) | 75% positive (16 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Darjeeling, Nova Production, ARTE France | Cool and Normal Entertainment, Cool and Normal Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- Californium (2016) is 2 years older than GlitchPets (2018).
- GlitchPets scores higher on Steam reviews (75% positive) than Californium (69.1% positive).
- GlitchPets is currently ~86% cheaper on Steam than Californium (0.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- GlitchPets has co-op; Californium does not.
Californium vs GlitchPets — FAQ
- Should I play Californium or GlitchPets first?
- If you want chronology, Californium (2016) came out before GlitchPets (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 Californium and GlitchPets similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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 Californium have multiplayer like GlitchPets?
- No. GlitchPets supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Californium is listed as single-player only.