Choose Scanner Sombre
Choose Scanner Sombre if you want an Adventure game with Tracked Controller Support and VR Supported. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91% positive across 2,301 reviews.
Scanner Sombre vs Cave Crawler
Scanner Sombre and Cave Crawler both land in Indie 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 are Indie games on Steam. Scanner Sombre (2017) is 6 years older than Cave Crawler (2023). Scanner Sombre scores higher on Steam reviews (91% positive) than Cave Crawler (85.6% 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 Cave Crawler
Choose Cave Crawler if it's currently about 72% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cave Crawler launched in 2023.
Both Scanner Sombre and Cave Crawler sit in Indie 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
 Scanner Sombre |  Cave Crawler | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91% positive (2,301 reviews) | 85.6% positive (458 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Introversion Software | Technomancy Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Scanner Sombre (2017) is 6 years older than Cave Crawler (2023).
- Scanner Sombre scores higher on Steam reviews (91% positive) than Cave Crawler (85.6% positive).
- Cave Crawler is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than Scanner Sombre (1.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Scanner Sombre vs Cave Crawler — FAQ
- Which is better, Scanner Sombre or Cave Crawler?
- On Steam reviews Scanner Sombre scores higher (91% positive) than Cave Crawler (85.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Scanner Sombre is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Scanner Sombre or Cave Crawler first?
- If you want chronology, Scanner Sombre (2017) came out before Cave Crawler (2023). 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 Scanner Sombre and Cave Crawler similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.
- Do Scanner Sombre and Cave Crawler both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.