Choose Sepia Tears
Choose Sepia Tears if you want an Indie and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Sepia Tears launched in 2016.
Sepia Tears vs Kanon
Sepia Tears and Kanon both land in Simulation, Casual 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 Simulation, Casual on Steam. Sepia Tears (2016) is 8 years older than Kanon (2024). Kanon scores higher on Steam reviews (96.6% positive) than Sepia Tears (89.4% 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 Kanon
Choose Kanon if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.6% positive across 118 reviews.
Both Sepia Tears and Kanon sit in Simulation and Casual 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
 Sepia Tears |  Kanon | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual | Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.4% positive (621 reviews) | 96.6% positive (118 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Scarlet String Studios | VISUAL ARTS/Key |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Sepia Tears (2016) is 8 years older than Kanon (2024).
- Kanon scores higher on Steam reviews (96.6% positive) than Sepia Tears (89.4% positive).
- Sepia Tears is free; Kanon is paid (29.99 USD).
- Kanon is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Sepia Tears has no Deck rating yet.
Sepia Tears vs Kanon — FAQ
- Which is better, Sepia Tears or Kanon?
- On Steam reviews Kanon scores higher (96.6% positive) than Sepia Tears (89.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Kanon is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Sepia Tears or Kanon first?
- If you want chronology, Sepia Tears (2016) came out before Kanon (2024). 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 Sepia Tears and Kanon similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, Casual 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.
- Is Sepia Tears free?
- Yes — Sepia Tears is a free-to-play Steam title. Kanon is paid (29.99 USD).