Choose Codenames
Choose Codenames if you want the Online Co-op and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Codenames launched in 2020.
Codenames vs Caverna
Codenames and Caverna both land in Indie, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Codenames (2020) is 5 years older than Caverna (2025). Codenames has co-op; Caverna does not. 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 Caverna
Choose Caverna if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Caverna launched in 2025.
Both Codenames and Caverna sit in Indie and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Turn Notifications, 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
 Codenames |  Caverna | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Indie, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | Price unknown | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | — | 78.6% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | CGE Digital | DIGIDICED |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Codenames (2020) is 5 years older than Caverna (2025).
- Codenames has co-op; Caverna does not.
- Caverna is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Codenames has no Deck rating yet.
Codenames vs Caverna — FAQ
- Should I play Codenames or Caverna first?
- If you want chronology, Codenames (2020) came out before Caverna (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 Codenames and Caverna similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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.