Choose Black River
Choose Black River if you want an Action experience. Black River launched in 2017.
Black River vs The Monsters' History Book
Black River and The Monsters' History Book both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Black River (2017) is 1 year older than The Monsters' History Book (2018). Black River scores higher on Steam reviews (42.3% positive) than The Monsters' History Book (20% 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 The Monsters' History Book
Choose The Monsters' History Book if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Monsters' History Book launched in 2018.
Both Black River and The Monsters' History Book sit in Strategy, 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
 Black River |  The Monsters' History Book | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 42.3% positive (26 reviews) | 20% positive (10 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Thorne Games | 喵呜喵5, 0Cube |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Black River (2017) is 1 year older than The Monsters' History Book (2018).
- Black River scores higher on Steam reviews (42.3% positive) than The Monsters' History Book (20% positive).
- The Monsters' History Book is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Black River (3.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Black River vs The Monsters' History Book — FAQ
- Should I play Black River or The Monsters' History Book first?
- If you want chronology, Black River (2017) came out before The Monsters' History Book (2018). 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 Black River and The Monsters' History Book similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.