Choose Tales of the Neon Sea
Choose Tales of the Neon Sea if you want an Indie experience. Tales of the Neon Sea launched in 2019.
Tales of the Neon Sea vs The Librarian
Tales of the Neon Sea and The Librarian both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Tales of the Neon Sea (2019) is 1 year older than The Librarian (2020). The Librarian scores higher on Steam reviews (85.9% positive) than Tales of the Neon Sea (84.2% 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 Librarian
Choose The Librarian if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 77% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Librarian launched in 2020.
Both Tales of the Neon Sea and The Librarian sit in Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (84.2% vs 85.9% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Tales of the Neon Sea |  The Librarian | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 16.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 84.2% positive (387 reviews) | 85.9% positive (85 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | YiTi Games | White Blanket Games |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Tales of the Neon Sea (2019) is 1 year older than The Librarian (2020).
- The Librarian scores higher on Steam reviews (85.9% positive) than Tales of the Neon Sea (84.2% positive).
- The Librarian is currently ~77% cheaper on Steam than Tales of the Neon Sea (3.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Tales of the Neon Sea is Deck Playable, The Librarian is Deck Verified.
Tales of the Neon Sea vs The Librarian — FAQ
- Should I play Tales of the Neon Sea or The Librarian first?
- If you want chronology, Tales of the Neon Sea (2019) came out before The Librarian (2020). 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 Tales of the Neon Sea and The Librarian similar?
- They overlap on 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.