Choose Machinarium
Choose Machinarium if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.4% positive across 4,783 reviews.
Machinarium vs 39 Days to Mars
Machinarium and 39 Days to Mars 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. Machinarium (2009) is 9 years older than 39 Days to Mars (2018). Machinarium scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than 39 Days to Mars (76.6% 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 39 Days to Mars
Choose 39 Days to Mars if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 39 Days to Mars launched in 2018.
Both Machinarium and 39 Days to Mars 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
 Machinarium |  39 Days to Mars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 13.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.4% positive (4,783 reviews) | 76.6% positive (107 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Amanita Design | It's Anecdotal |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Machinarium (2009) is 9 years older than 39 Days to Mars (2018).
- Machinarium scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than 39 Days to Mars (76.6% positive).
- 39 Days to Mars is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Machinarium (13.39 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- 39 Days to Mars has co-op; Machinarium does not.
- Steam Deck: Machinarium is Deck Verified, 39 Days to Mars is Deck Playable.
Machinarium vs 39 Days to Mars — FAQ
- Which is better, Machinarium or 39 Days to Mars?
- On Steam reviews Machinarium scores higher (94.4% positive) than 39 Days to Mars (76.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Machinarium is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Machinarium or 39 Days to Mars first?
- If you want chronology, Machinarium (2009) came out before 39 Days to Mars (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 Machinarium and 39 Days to Mars 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.
- Does Machinarium have multiplayer like 39 Days to Mars?
- No. 39 Days to Mars supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Machinarium is listed as single-player only.