Choose Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Choose Dear Esther: Landmark Edition if you want a Free To Play 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 NineHells
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and NineHells both land in Indie, Adventure, 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 Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) is 7 years older than NineHells (2024). NineHells is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). 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 NineHells
Choose NineHells if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. NineHells launched in 2024.
Both Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and NineHells sit in Indie, Adventure, 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
 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition |  NineHells | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.9% positive (1,402 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe | caffeineline |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) is 7 years older than NineHells (2024).
- NineHells 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; NineHells has no Deck rating yet.
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition vs NineHells — FAQ
- Should I play Dear Esther: Landmark Edition or NineHells first?
- If you want chronology, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) came out before NineHells (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 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition and NineHells similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, 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.
- Does Dear Esther: Landmark Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is rated Deck Verified by Valve. NineHells doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.