Should I play The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark or Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff first?

If you want chronology, Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff (2020) came out before The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (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.

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark and Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff both land in Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff (2020) is 1 year older than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (2021). Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (95.4% 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 The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Choose The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark if you want a Casual game with Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark launched in 2021.

Choose Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff

Choose Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff launched in 2020.

Both The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark and Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff sit in Indie and Adventure 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.

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff — Steam metadata comparison
	The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark	Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff
Released	2021	2020
Genres	Indie, Adventure, Casual	Indie, Adventure
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	14.99 USD	4.99 USD
Steam reviews	95.4% positive (877 reviews)	100% positive (70 reviews)
Multiplayer	Single-player only	Single-player only
Developers	Spooky Doorway	Benedict Ide

Side by side

Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff (2020) is 1 year older than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (2021).
Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (95.4% positive).
Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff has no Deck rating yet.