Choose Detention
Choose Detention if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 2,780 Steam reviews back the pick.
Detention vs River Secret
Detention and River Secret both land in Indie, Adventure 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 on Steam. Detention (2017) is 9 years older than River Secret (2026). Detention is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; River Secret has no Deck rating yet. 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 River Secret
Choose River Secret if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. River Secret launched in 2026.
Both Detention and River Secret sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 Detention |  River Secret | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 96.3% positive (2,780 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | RedCandleGames | Hard2Scream |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Detention (2017) is 9 years older than River Secret (2026).
- Detention is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; River Secret has no Deck rating yet.
Detention vs River Secret — FAQ
- Should I play Detention or River Secret first?
- If you want chronology, Detention (2017) came out before River Secret (2026). 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 Detention and River Secret similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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 Detention run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Detention is rated Deck Verified by Valve. River Secret doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.