Choose ELF
Choose ELF if it's currently about 88% cheaper on the Steam Store. ELF launched in 2018.
ELF vs The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes
ELF and The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes both land in Action, 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 Action, Adventure on Steam. ELF (2018) is 7 years older than The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes (2025). ELF is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes (4.99 USD vs. 39.99 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 Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes
Choose The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes launched in 2025.
Both ELF and The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes sit in Action 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.
Side-by-side comparison
 ELF |  The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ocean Software | Casual Brothers Ltd. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- ELF (2018) is 7 years older than The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes (2025).
- ELF is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes (4.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
ELF vs The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes — FAQ
- Should I play ELF or The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes first?
- If you want chronology, ELF (2018) came out before The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes (2025). 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 ELF and The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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.