Choose Soundscape VR: 2017
Choose Soundscape VR: 2017 if you want an Adventure, Simulation, and RPG experience. Soundscape VR: 2017 launched in 2017.
Soundscape VR: 2017 vs Rec Room: A New Semester
Soundscape VR: 2017 and Rec Room: A New Semester both land in Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual 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 Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual on Steam. Soundscape VR: 2017 (2017) is 9 years older than Rec Room: A New Semester (2026). Both are free to play. 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 Rec Room: A New Semester
Choose Rec Room: A New Semester if you want an Action, Indie, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Rec Room: A New Semester launched in 2026.
Both Soundscape VR: 2017 and Rec Room: A New Semester sit in Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 Soundscape VR: 2017 |  Rec Room: A New Semester | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 71.7% positive (92 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Groove Science Studios | Thunderstorm Games LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual on Steam.
- Soundscape VR: 2017 (2017) is 9 years older than Rec Room: A New Semester (2026).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
- Soundscape VR: 2017 is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Rec Room: A New Semester has no Deck rating yet.
Soundscape VR: 2017 vs Rec Room: A New Semester — FAQ
- Should I play Soundscape VR: 2017 or Rec Room: A New Semester first?
- If you want chronology, Soundscape VR: 2017 (2017) came out before Rec Room: A New Semester (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 Soundscape VR: 2017 and Rec Room: A New Semester similar?
- They overlap on Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual 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.
- Do both Soundscape VR: 2017 and Rec Room: A New Semester have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Soundscape VR: 2017 ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Rec Room: A New Semester ships Online Co-op, Co-op.