Choose Shrinking Pains
Choose Shrinking Pains if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shrinking Pains launched in 2018.
Shrinking Pains vs Imagine Lifetimes
Shrinking Pains and Imagine Lifetimes both land in Indie 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 Indie games on Steam. Shrinking Pains (2018) is 2 years older than Imagine Lifetimes (2020). Shrinking Pains scores higher on Steam reviews (85.9% positive) than Imagine Lifetimes (68.8% 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 Imagine Lifetimes
Choose Imagine Lifetimes if you want a Simulation and Casual experience. Imagine Lifetimes launched in 2020.
Both Shrinking Pains and Imagine Lifetimes sit in Indie 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
 Shrinking Pains |  Imagine Lifetimes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Free To Play | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.9% positive (177 reviews) | 68.8% positive (96 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bedtime Phobias | Frycandle |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Shrinking Pains (2018) is 2 years older than Imagine Lifetimes (2020).
- Shrinking Pains scores higher on Steam reviews (85.9% positive) than Imagine Lifetimes (68.8% positive).
- Shrinking Pains is free; Imagine Lifetimes is paid (5.99 USD).
- Imagine Lifetimes is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Shrinking Pains has no Deck rating yet.
Shrinking Pains vs Imagine Lifetimes — FAQ
- Should I play Shrinking Pains or Imagine Lifetimes first?
- If you want chronology, Shrinking Pains (2018) came out before Imagine Lifetimes (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 Shrinking Pains and Imagine Lifetimes similar?
- They overlap on Indie 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.
- Is Shrinking Pains free?
- Yes — Shrinking Pains is a free-to-play Steam title. Imagine Lifetimes is paid (5.99 USD).