Choose Late Shift
Choose Late Shift if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,748 Steam reviews back the pick.
Late Shift vs encrypted_nightmares
Late Shift and encrypted_nightmares 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. Late Shift (2017) is 8 years older than encrypted_nightmares (2025). Late Shift scores higher on Steam reviews (86% positive) than encrypted_nightmares (69.6% 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 encrypted_nightmares
Choose encrypted_nightmares if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. encrypted_nightmares launched in 2025.
Both Late Shift and encrypted_nightmares 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
 Late Shift |  encrypted_nightmares | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 3.59 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86% positive (1,748 reviews) | 69.6% positive (23 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | CtrlMovie | Artur Latkovsky |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Late Shift (2017) is 8 years older than encrypted_nightmares (2025).
- Late Shift scores higher on Steam reviews (86% positive) than encrypted_nightmares (69.6% positive).
- encrypted_nightmares is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Late Shift (2.99 USD vs. 3.59 USD).
- Late Shift is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; encrypted_nightmares has no Deck rating yet.
Late Shift vs encrypted_nightmares — FAQ
- Should I play Late Shift or encrypted_nightmares first?
- If you want chronology, Late Shift (2017) came out before encrypted_nightmares (2025). 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 Late Shift and encrypted_nightmares 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 Late Shift run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Late Shift is rated Deck Verified by Valve. encrypted_nightmares doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.