Choose Biotope
Choose Biotope if you want a Strategy and Early Access experience. Biotope launched in 2019.
Biotope vs Aquarium Designer
Biotope and Aquarium Designer both land in Simulation, 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 Simulation, Casual on Steam. Biotope (2019) is 2 years older than Aquarium Designer (2021). Aquarium Designer scores higher on Steam reviews (86.3% positive) than Biotope (36% 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 Aquarium Designer
Choose Aquarium Designer if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Aquarium Designer launched in 2021.
Both Biotope and Aquarium Designer sit in Simulation 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
 Biotope |  Aquarium Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, Casual, Early Access | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 36% positive (75 reviews) | 86.3% positive (685 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | MBL Development | Sigur Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Biotope (2019) is 2 years older than Aquarium Designer (2021).
- Aquarium Designer scores higher on Steam reviews (86.3% positive) than Biotope (36% positive).
- Aquarium Designer is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Biotope (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Biotope vs Aquarium Designer — FAQ
- Should I play Biotope or Aquarium Designer first?
- If you want chronology, Biotope (2019) came out before Aquarium Designer (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 Biotope and Aquarium Designer similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, 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.