Choose Lydia
Choose Lydia if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Lydia launched in 2017.
Lydia vs LabRat
Lydia and LabRat 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. Lydia (2017) is 3 years older than LabRat (2020). LabRat is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Lydia (0.99 USD vs. 3.99 USD). 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 LabRat
Choose LabRat if it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. LabRat launched in 2020.
Both Lydia and LabRat 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
 Lydia |  LabRat | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.1% positive (229 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Platonic Partnership | John Coday |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Lydia (2017) is 3 years older than LabRat (2020).
- LabRat is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Lydia (0.99 USD vs. 3.99 USD).
- Lydia is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; LabRat has no Deck rating yet.
Lydia vs LabRat — FAQ
- Should I play Lydia or LabRat first?
- If you want chronology, Lydia (2017) came out before LabRat (2020). 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 Lydia and LabRat 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 Lydia run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Lydia is rated Deck Verified by Valve. LabRat doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.