Choose Subsurface Circular
Choose Subsurface Circular if you want an Adventure and Casual experience. 1,353 Steam reviews back the pick.
Subsurface Circular vs Provisional Detective
Subsurface Circular and Provisional Detective both land in Indie 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 are Indie games on Steam. Subsurface Circular (2017) is 5 years older than Provisional Detective (2022). Provisional Detective is free; Subsurface Circular is paid (2.99 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 Provisional Detective
Choose Provisional Detective if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Provisional Detective launched in 2022.
Both Subsurface Circular and Provisional Detective sit in Indie 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
 Subsurface Circular |  Provisional Detective | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 2.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (1,353 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bithell Games | SteefMakesGames |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Subsurface Circular (2017) is 5 years older than Provisional Detective (2022).
- Provisional Detective is free; Subsurface Circular is paid (2.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Subsurface Circular is Deck Playable, Provisional Detective is Deck Unsupported.
Subsurface Circular vs Provisional Detective — FAQ
- Should I play Subsurface Circular or Provisional Detective first?
- If you want chronology, Subsurface Circular (2017) came out before Provisional Detective (2022). 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 Subsurface Circular and Provisional Detective similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.
- Is Provisional Detective free?
- Yes — Provisional Detective is a free-to-play Steam title. Subsurface Circular is paid (2.99 USD).