Choose After Hours
Choose After Hours if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. After Hours launched in 2018.
After Hours vs Barking from the Dark
After Hours and Barking from the Dark both land in Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. After Hours (2018) is 8 years older than Barking from the Dark (2026). Barking from the Dark scores higher on Steam reviews (84% positive) than After Hours (64.4% 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 Barking from the Dark
Choose Barking from the Dark if you want the Stereo Sound, Surround 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. Barking from the Dark launched in 2026.
Both After Hours and Barking from the Dark sit in Indie, Adventure, and Simulation 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
 After Hours |  Barking from the Dark | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 64.4% positive (45 reviews) | 84% positive (75 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Petter Malmehed, Jösses | shoftArt |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- After Hours (2018) is 8 years older than Barking from the Dark (2026).
- Barking from the Dark scores higher on Steam reviews (84% positive) than After Hours (64.4% positive).
- After Hours is free; Barking from the Dark is paid (1.99 USD).
- After Hours is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Barking from the Dark has no Deck rating yet.
After Hours vs Barking from the Dark — FAQ
- Should I play After Hours or Barking from the Dark first?
- If you want chronology, After Hours (2018) came out before Barking from the Dark (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 After Hours and Barking from the Dark similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Simulation 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 After Hours free?
- Yes — After Hours is a free-to-play Steam title. Barking from the Dark is paid (1.99 USD).
- Does After Hours run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — After Hours is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Barking from the Dark doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.