Choose Mars Underground
Choose Mars Underground if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Mars Underground launched in 2019.
Mars Underground vs Courier Tale
Mars Underground and Courier Tale 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. Mars Underground (2019) is 5 years older than Courier Tale (2024). Courier Tale scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Mars Underground (95.2% 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 Courier Tale
Choose Courier Tale if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Courier Tale launched in 2024.
Both Mars Underground and Courier Tale 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
 Mars Underground |  Courier Tale | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.2% positive (42 reviews) | 100% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Matt Sanderson | Studio Kraze |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Mars Underground (2019) is 5 years older than Courier Tale (2024).
- Courier Tale scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Mars Underground (95.2% positive).
- Mars Underground is free; Courier Tale is paid (7.99 USD).
- Mars Underground is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Courier Tale has no Deck rating yet.
Mars Underground vs Courier Tale — FAQ
- Should I play Mars Underground or Courier Tale first?
- If you want chronology, Mars Underground (2019) came out before Courier Tale (2024). 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 Mars Underground and Courier Tale 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.
- Is Mars Underground free?
- Yes — Mars Underground is a free-to-play Steam title. Courier Tale is paid (7.99 USD).
- Does Mars Underground run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Mars Underground is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Courier Tale doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.