Choose Pikuniku
Choose Pikuniku if you want an Adventure game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,642 Steam reviews back the pick.
Pikuniku vs Z: Escape
Pikuniku and Z: Escape both land in Action, Indie, 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 Action, Indie, Casual on Steam. Z: Escape (2018) is 1 year older than Pikuniku (2019). Pikuniku scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Z: Escape (47.4% 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 Z: Escape
Choose Z: Escape if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Z: Escape launched in 2018.
Both Pikuniku and Z: Escape sit in Action, Indie, 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
 Pikuniku |  Z: Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 12.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.9% positive (3,642 reviews) | 47.4% positive (19 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Arnaud De Bock, Rémi Forcadell, Alan Zucconi, Calum Bowen | Ervenstar Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Z: Escape (2018) is 1 year older than Pikuniku (2019).
- Pikuniku scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Z: Escape (47.4% positive).
- Z: Escape is free; Pikuniku is paid (12.99 USD).
- Pikuniku has co-op; Z: Escape does not.
- Pikuniku is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Z: Escape has no Deck rating yet.
Pikuniku vs Z: Escape — FAQ
- Should I play Pikuniku or Z: Escape first?
- If you want chronology, Z: Escape (2018) came out before Pikuniku (2019). 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 Pikuniku and Z: Escape similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Does Z: Escape have multiplayer like Pikuniku?
- No. Pikuniku supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Z: Escape is listed as single-player only.
- Is Z: Escape free?
- Yes — Z: Escape is a free-to-play Steam title. Pikuniku is paid (12.99 USD).
- Does Pikuniku run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pikuniku is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Z: Escape doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.