IMHO.

Life is Strange: True Colors vs Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting

Life is Strange: True Colors and Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting 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. Life is Strange: True Colors (2021) is 6 years older than Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting (2027). Life is Strange: True Colors is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting has no Deck rating yet. 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 Life is Strange: True Colors

Choose Life is Strange: True Colors if you want an Action game with Adjustable Text Size, Subtitle Options, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 7,176 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting

Choose Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting if you want the Save Anytime side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting launched in 2027.

Both Life is Strange: True Colors and Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting sit in Adventure on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input, 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

Life is Strange: True Colors vs Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting — Steam metadata comparison
Life is Strange: True Colors — Steam game coverLife is Strange: True ColorsBacktrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting — Steam game coverBacktrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting
Released20212027
GenresAction, AdventureAdventure
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price59.99 USDPrice unknown
Steam reviews91% positive (7,176 reviews)—
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersDeck NinePetallix Games

Side by side

Life is Strange: True Colors vs Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting — FAQ

Should I play Life is Strange: True Colors or Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting first?
If you want chronology, Life is Strange: True Colors (2021) came out before Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting (2027). 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 Life is Strange: True Colors and Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting 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.
Does Life is Strange: True Colors run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Life is Strange: True Colors is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Life is Strange: True Colors vs Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting · imho.run