Choose Subsurface Circular
Choose Subsurface Circular if you want an Adventure experience. 1,353 Steam reviews back the pick.
Subsurface Circular vs The Missing Thing
Subsurface Circular and The Missing Thing both land in Indie, 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. Subsurface Circular (2017) is 5 years older than The Missing Thing (2022). The Missing Thing is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Subsurface Circular (2.99 USD vs. 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 The Missing Thing
Choose The Missing Thing if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Missing Thing launched in 2022.
Both Subsurface Circular and The Missing Thing sit in Indie and Casual 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 |  The Missing Thing | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (1,353 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bithell Games | Tommy Games |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Subsurface Circular (2017) is 5 years older than The Missing Thing (2022).
- The Missing Thing is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Subsurface Circular (2.99 USD vs. 2.99 USD).
- Subsurface Circular is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Missing Thing has no Deck rating yet.
Subsurface Circular vs The Missing Thing — FAQ
- Should I play Subsurface Circular or The Missing Thing first?
- If you want chronology, Subsurface Circular (2017) came out before The Missing Thing (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 The Missing Thing similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.
- Does Subsurface Circular run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Subsurface Circular is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The Missing Thing doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.