Choose Vortex: The Gateway
Choose Vortex: The Gateway if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's currently about 73% cheaper on the Steam Store. Vortex: The Gateway launched in 2016.
Vortex: The Gateway vs Subnautica: Below Zero
Vortex: The Gateway and Subnautica: Below Zero 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. Vortex: The Gateway (2016) is 5 years older than Subnautica: Below Zero (2021). Subnautica: Below Zero scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% 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 Subnautica: Below Zero
Choose Subnautica: Below Zero if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.5% positive across 53,433 reviews.
Both Vortex: The Gateway and Subnautica: Below Zero 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
 Vortex: The Gateway |  Subnautica: Below Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 53.9% positive (102 reviews) | 89.5% positive (53,433 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | StormCube Games | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Vortex: The Gateway (2016) is 5 years older than Subnautica: Below Zero (2021).
- Subnautica: Below Zero scores higher on Steam reviews (89.5% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% positive).
- Vortex: The Gateway is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Subnautica: Below Zero (7.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Subnautica: Below Zero is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Vortex: The Gateway has no Deck rating yet.
Vortex: The Gateway vs Subnautica: Below Zero — FAQ
- Which is better, Vortex: The Gateway or Subnautica: Below Zero?
- On Steam reviews Subnautica: Below Zero scores higher (89.5% positive) than Vortex: The Gateway (53.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Subnautica: Below Zero is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Vortex: The Gateway or Subnautica: Below Zero first?
- If you want chronology, Vortex: The Gateway (2016) came out before Subnautica: Below Zero (2021). 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 Vortex: The Gateway and Subnautica: Below Zero 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.