Choose ROUTINE
Choose ROUTINE if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.2% positive across 4,122 reviews.
ROUTINE vs Directive 8020
ROUTINE and Directive 8020 both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure on Steam. ROUTINE (2025) is 1 year older than Directive 8020 (2026). ROUTINE scores higher on Steam reviews (93.2% positive) than Directive 8020 (63.1% 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 Directive 8020
Choose Directive 8020 if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 2,033 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both ROUTINE and Directive 8020 sit in Action 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
 ROUTINE |  Directive 8020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.2% positive (4,122 reviews) | 63.1% positive (2,033 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Lunar Software | Supermassive Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- ROUTINE (2025) is 1 year older than Directive 8020 (2026).
- ROUTINE scores higher on Steam reviews (93.2% positive) than Directive 8020 (63.1% positive).
- ROUTINE is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Directive 8020 (24.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Directive 8020 has co-op; ROUTINE does not.
- Steam Deck: ROUTINE is Deck Playable, Directive 8020 is Deck Verified.
ROUTINE vs Directive 8020 — FAQ
- Which is better, ROUTINE or Directive 8020?
- On Steam reviews ROUTINE scores higher (93.2% positive) than Directive 8020 (63.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, ROUTINE is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play ROUTINE or Directive 8020 first?
- If you want chronology, ROUTINE (2025) came out before Directive 8020 (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 ROUTINE and Directive 8020 similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 ROUTINE have multiplayer like Directive 8020?
- No. Directive 8020 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while ROUTINE is listed as single-player only.