Choose Unearthing Mars VR
Choose Unearthing Mars VR if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Unearthing Mars VR launched in 2017.
Unearthing Mars VR vs Surviving Mars: Pioneer
Unearthing Mars VR and Surviving Mars: Pioneer both land in Adventure, Simulation 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 Adventure, Simulation on Steam. Unearthing Mars VR (2017) is 8 years older than Surviving Mars: Pioneer (2025). Surviving Mars: Pioneer scores higher on Steam reviews (78.4% positive) than Unearthing Mars VR (64.3% 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 Surviving Mars: Pioneer
Choose Surviving Mars: Pioneer if you want an Action and Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Surviving Mars: Pioneer launched in 2025.
Both Unearthing Mars VR and Surviving Mars: Pioneer sit in Adventure and Simulation on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Unearthing Mars VR |  Surviving Mars: Pioneer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Genres | Adventure, Simulation | Action, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 64.3% positive (28 reviews) | 78.4% positive (51 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Light Era Studio | Bolverk Games |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- Unearthing Mars VR (2017) is 8 years older than Surviving Mars: Pioneer (2025).
- Surviving Mars: Pioneer scores higher on Steam reviews (78.4% positive) than Unearthing Mars VR (64.3% positive).
- Unearthing Mars VR is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Surviving Mars: Pioneer (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Surviving Mars: Pioneer is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Unearthing Mars VR has no Deck rating yet.
Unearthing Mars VR vs Surviving Mars: Pioneer — FAQ
- Should I play Unearthing Mars VR or Surviving Mars: Pioneer first?
- If you want chronology, Unearthing Mars VR (2017) came out before Surviving Mars: Pioneer (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 Unearthing Mars VR and Surviving Mars: Pioneer similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, Simulation 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.