Choose Mars Underground
Choose Mars Underground if you want an Indie and 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 TR-49
Mars Underground and TR-49 both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Mars Underground (2019) is 7 years older than TR-49 (2026). Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Mars Underground: 42 reviews, TR-49: 908). 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 TR-49
Choose TR-49 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 (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. TR-49 launched in 2026.
Both Mars Underground and TR-49 sit in Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95.2% vs 94.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Mars Underground |  TR-49 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.2% positive (42 reviews) | 94.8% positive (908 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Matt Sanderson | inkle Ltd |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Mars Underground (2019) is 7 years older than TR-49 (2026).
- Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Mars Underground: 42 reviews, TR-49: 908).
- Mars Underground is free; TR-49 is paid (6.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Mars Underground is Deck Playable, TR-49 is Deck Verified.
Mars Underground vs TR-49 — FAQ
- Should I play Mars Underground or TR-49 first?
- If you want chronology, Mars Underground (2019) came out before TR-49 (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 Mars Underground and TR-49 similar?
- They overlap on 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. TR-49 is paid (6.99 USD).