Choose FILE 9
Choose FILE 9 if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Surround Sound side of the pairing. FILE 9 launched in 2016.
FILE 9 vs A Story of Distress
FILE 9 and A Story of Distress both land in Action, Strategy, 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 share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam. FILE 9 (2016) is 2 years older than A Story of Distress (2018). A Story of Distress is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than FILE 9 (9.99 USD vs. 39.99 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 A Story of Distress
Choose A Story of Distress if it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. A Story of Distress launched in 2018.
Both FILE 9 and A Story of Distress sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 FILE 9 |  A Story of Distress | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 1 reviews | 8 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cypress Inheritance, LLC | Yellow Panda Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- FILE 9 (2016) is 2 years older than A Story of Distress (2018).
- A Story of Distress is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than FILE 9 (9.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
FILE 9 vs A Story of Distress — FAQ
- Should I play FILE 9 or A Story of Distress first?
- If you want chronology, FILE 9 (2016) came out before A Story of Distress (2018). 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 FILE 9 and A Story of Distress similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.