Choose Captain Backwater
Choose Captain Backwater if you want a Strategy and Indie experience. Captain Backwater launched in 2017.
Captain Backwater vs Puzzle Plunder
Captain Backwater and Puzzle Plunder both land in 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 are Casual games on Steam. Captain Backwater (2017) is 1 year older than Puzzle Plunder (2018). Puzzle Plunder scores higher on Steam reviews (87.8% positive) than Captain Backwater (66.7% positive). 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 Puzzle Plunder
Choose Puzzle Plunder if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Puzzle Plunder launched in 2018.
Both Captain Backwater and Puzzle Plunder sit in 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
 Captain Backwater |  Puzzle Plunder | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 66.7% positive (15 reviews) | 87.8% positive (131 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Jochen Heizmann, Emmanuel Henné, Intermediaware | Windybeard |
Side by side
- Both are Casual games on Steam.
- Captain Backwater (2017) is 1 year older than Puzzle Plunder (2018).
- Puzzle Plunder scores higher on Steam reviews (87.8% positive) than Captain Backwater (66.7% positive).
- Both are free to play.
Captain Backwater vs Puzzle Plunder — FAQ
- Should I play Captain Backwater or Puzzle Plunder first?
- If you want chronology, Captain Backwater (2017) came out before Puzzle Plunder (2018). 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 Captain Backwater and Puzzle Plunder similar?
- They overlap on 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.