Choose Aphantasia
Choose Aphantasia if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Aphantasia launched in 2025.
Aphantasia vs Joy Malignant
Aphantasia and Joy Malignant both land in Indie, Adventure, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Aphantasia (2025) is 1 year older than Joy Malignant (2026). 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 Joy Malignant
Choose Joy Malignant if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Joy Malignant launched in 2026.
Both Aphantasia and Joy Malignant sit in Indie, Adventure, and RPG 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
 Aphantasia |  Joy Malignant | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 83.3% positive (12 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Pardusolet | Petros Anastasiadis |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Aphantasia (2025) is 1 year older than Joy Malignant (2026).
Aphantasia vs Joy Malignant — FAQ
- Should I play Aphantasia or Joy Malignant first?
- If you want chronology, Aphantasia (2025) came out before Joy Malignant (2026). 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 Aphantasia and Joy Malignant similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, RPG 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.