Choose Arise: A Simple Story
Choose Arise: A Simple Story if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Arise: A Simple Story launched in 2020.
Arise: A Simple Story vs Strings Theory
Arise: A Simple Story and Strings Theory 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. Arise: A Simple Story (2020) is 1 year older than Strings Theory (2021). Strings Theory scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Arise: A Simple Story (91.8% 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 Strings Theory
Choose Strings Theory if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. Strings Theory launched in 2021.
Both Arise: A Simple Story and Strings Theory sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, 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
 Arise: A Simple Story |  Strings Theory | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.8% positive (831 reviews) | 100% positive (19 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Piccolo Studio | BeautifulBee |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Arise: A Simple Story (2020) is 1 year older than Strings Theory (2021).
- Strings Theory scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Arise: A Simple Story (91.8% positive).
- Strings Theory is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Arise: A Simple Story (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Arise: A Simple Story is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Strings Theory has no Deck rating yet.
Arise: A Simple Story vs Strings Theory — FAQ
- Should I play Arise: A Simple Story or Strings Theory first?
- If you want chronology, Arise: A Simple Story (2020) came out before Strings Theory (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.
- Are Arise: A Simple Story and Strings Theory similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.
- Do both Arise: A Simple Story and Strings Theory have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Arise: A Simple Story ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Strings Theory ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Arise: A Simple Story run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Arise: A Simple Story is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Strings Theory doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.