Choose Lightmatter
Choose Lightmatter if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Lightmatter launched in 2020.
Lightmatter vs The Awakening Program
Lightmatter and The Awakening Program 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. Lightmatter (2020) is 2 years older than The Awakening Program (2022). The Awakening Program is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Lightmatter (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 The Awakening Program
Choose The Awakening Program if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Awakening Program launched in 2022.
Both Lightmatter and The Awakening Program sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 Lightmatter |  The Awakening Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.9% positive (437 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Tunnel Vision Games | Serio Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Lightmatter (2020) is 2 years older than The Awakening Program (2022).
- The Awakening Program is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Lightmatter (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Lightmatter is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Awakening Program has no Deck rating yet.
Lightmatter vs The Awakening Program — FAQ
- Should I play Lightmatter or The Awakening Program first?
- If you want chronology, Lightmatter (2020) came out before The Awakening Program (2022). 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 Lightmatter and The Awakening Program 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.
- Does Lightmatter run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Lightmatter is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The Awakening Program doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.