Choose Birthdays the Beginning
Choose Birthdays the Beginning if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Birthdays the Beginning launched in 2017.
Birthdays the Beginning vs CritterGarden
Birthdays the Beginning and CritterGarden both land in Simulation 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 Simulation games on Steam. Birthdays the Beginning (2017) is 8 years older than CritterGarden (2025). CritterGarden scores higher on Steam reviews (83.3% positive) than Birthdays the Beginning (61.5% 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 CritterGarden
Choose CritterGarden if you want an Indie and Casual game with Color Alternatives, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. CritterGarden launched in 2025.
Both Birthdays the Beginning and CritterGarden sit in Simulation 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
 Birthdays the Beginning |  CritterGarden | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Genres | Simulation | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 61.5% positive (548 reviews) | 83.3% positive (24 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Arc System Works, TOYBOX Inc. | Minjonia Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Birthdays the Beginning (2017) is 8 years older than CritterGarden (2025).
- CritterGarden scores higher on Steam reviews (83.3% positive) than Birthdays the Beginning (61.5% positive).
- Birthdays the Beginning is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than CritterGarden (3.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Birthdays the Beginning is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; CritterGarden has no Deck rating yet.
Birthdays the Beginning vs CritterGarden — FAQ
- Should I play Birthdays the Beginning or CritterGarden first?
- If you want chronology, Birthdays the Beginning (2017) came out before CritterGarden (2025). 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 Birthdays the Beginning and CritterGarden similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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.