Choose A Detective's Novel
Choose A Detective's Novel if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. A Detective's Novel launched in 2016.
A Detective's Novel vs Sarawak
A Detective's Novel and Sarawak 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. A Detective's Novel (2016) is 5 years older than Sarawak (2021). Sarawak scores higher on Steam reviews (75% positive) than A Detective's Novel (69.7% 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 Sarawak
Choose Sarawak if it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Sarawak launched in 2021.
Both A Detective's Novel and Sarawak 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
 A Detective's Novel |  Sarawak | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.7% positive (33 reviews) | 75% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Amaterasu Software | Cowleyfornia Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- A Detective's Novel (2016) is 5 years older than Sarawak (2021).
- Sarawak scores higher on Steam reviews (75% positive) than A Detective's Novel (69.7% positive).
- A Detective's Novel is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Sarawak (1.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- A Detective's Novel is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Sarawak has no Deck rating yet.
A Detective's Novel vs Sarawak — FAQ
- Should I play A Detective's Novel or Sarawak first?
- If you want chronology, A Detective's Novel (2016) came out before Sarawak (2021). 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 A Detective's Novel and Sarawak 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.