Choose Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Choose Dear Esther: Landmark Edition if you want an Adventure, Free To Play, and Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,402 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition vs The Nightmare
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and The Nightmare 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. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) is 3 years older than The Nightmare (2020). Dear Esther: Landmark Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (75.9% positive) than The Nightmare (40% 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 The Nightmare
Choose The Nightmare if it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Nightmare launched in 2020.
Both Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and The Nightmare 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
 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition |  The Nightmare | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.9% positive (1,402 reviews) | 40% positive (20 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe | Leakage Games |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) is 3 years older than The Nightmare (2020).
- Dear Esther: Landmark Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (75.9% positive) than The Nightmare (40% positive).
- The Nightmare is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Nightmare has no Deck rating yet.
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition vs The Nightmare — FAQ
- Should I play Dear Esther: Landmark Edition or The Nightmare first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) came out before The Nightmare (2020). 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 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and The Nightmare 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.
- Does Dear Esther: Landmark Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Nightmare doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.