Sidewords vs Cardinal Chains
Sidewords and Cardinal Chains 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. Sidewords (2017) is 4 years older than Cardinal Chains (2021). Sidewords scores higher on Steam reviews (93.5% positive) than Cardinal Chains (90.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 Sidewords |  Cardinal Chains | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.5% positive (31 reviews) | 90.9% positive (11 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Milkbag Games | Daniel Nora |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Sidewords (2017) is 4 years older than Cardinal Chains (2021).
- Sidewords scores higher on Steam reviews (93.5% positive) than Cardinal Chains (90.9% positive).
- Cardinal Chains is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Sidewords (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
Sidewords vs Cardinal Chains — FAQ
- Should I play Sidewords or Cardinal Chains first?
- If you want chronology, Sidewords (2017) came out before Cardinal Chains (2021). 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 Sidewords and Cardinal Chains 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.