Choose ICEY
Choose ICEY if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 80.1% positive across 3,028 reviews.
ICEY vs The Initial
ICEY and The Initial both land in Action, Adventure, RPG 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, Adventure, RPG on Steam. ICEY (2016) is 1 year older than The Initial (2017). ICEY scores higher on Steam reviews (80.1% positive) than The Initial (66.7% 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 Initial
Choose The Initial if you want an Indie experience. The Initial launched in 2017.
Both ICEY and The Initial sit in Action, Adventure, and RPG 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
 ICEY |  The Initial | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 3.84 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.1% positive (3,028 reviews) | 66.7% positive (183 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | FantaBlade Network | Restory Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- ICEY (2016) is 1 year older than The Initial (2017).
- ICEY scores higher on Steam reviews (80.1% positive) than The Initial (66.7% positive).
- ICEY is currently ~62% cheaper on Steam than The Initial (3.84 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: ICEY is Deck Verified, The Initial is Deck Playable.
ICEY vs The Initial — FAQ
- Which is better, ICEY or The Initial?
- On Steam reviews ICEY scores higher (80.1% positive) than The Initial (66.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, ICEY is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play ICEY or The Initial first?
- If you want chronology, ICEY (2016) came out before The Initial (2017). 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 ICEY and The Initial similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, RPG 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.