Choose Open Waters
Choose Open Waters if you want the Subtitle Options side of the pairing. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment.
Open Waters vs SMS Returns
Open Waters and SMS Returns both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure on Steam. SMS Returns has co-op; Open Waters does not. 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 SMS Returns
Choose SMS Returns if you want an Indie game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. SMS Returns launched in 2026.
Both Open Waters and SMS Returns sit in Action and Adventure on Steam and both list DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and Camera Comfort, 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
 Open Waters |  SMS Returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | — | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | FluffyGameDev | Marc Steene |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- SMS Returns has co-op; Open Waters does not.
Open Waters vs SMS Returns — FAQ
- Are Open Waters and SMS Returns similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Open Waters have multiplayer like SMS Returns?
- No. SMS Returns supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op), while Open Waters is listed as single-player only.