IMHO.

Desert Child vs Imminence

Desert Child and Imminence both land in Action, 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 share Action, Indie on Steam. Desert Child (2018) is 8 years older than Imminence (2026). Imminence is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Desert Child (9.99 USD vs. 11.99 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 Desert Child

Choose Desert Child if you want a Simulation, RPG, and Racing game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Desert Child launched in 2018.

Choose Imminence

Choose Imminence if you want the Subtitle Options, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Imminence launched in 2026.

Both Desert Child and Imminence sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Keyboard Only Option and Adjustable Difficulty, 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

Desert Child vs Imminence — Steam metadata comparison
Desert Child — Steam game coverDesert ChildImminence — Steam game coverImminence
Released20182026
GenresAction, Indie, Simulation, RPG, RacingAction, Indie
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price11.99 USD9.99 USD
Steam reviews76.5% positive (51 reviews)—
MultiplayerMulti-playerSingle-player only
DevelopersOscar BrittainBob Warren

Side by side

Desert Child vs Imminence — FAQ

Should I play Desert Child or Imminence first?
If you want chronology, Desert Child (2018) came out before Imminence (2026). 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 Desert Child and Imminence similar?
They overlap on Action, 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.
Does Imminence have multiplayer like Desert Child?
No. Desert Child supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Imminence is listed as single-player only.
Does Desert Child run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Desert Child is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Imminence doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Desert Child vs Imminence — Verdict (2026) · imho.run