Bendy and the Ink Machine vs Layers of Fear (2016)
Bendy and the Ink Machine is a horror puzzle game (2017) while Layers of Fear (2016) is a horror puzzle game from Bloober Team SA (2016).
What each one is
Steam files Bendy and the Ink Machine under Horror and Puzzle. In contrast, it files Layers of Fear (2016) under Horror and Puzzle.
Bendy and the Ink Machine® is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.
A first-person psychological horror with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and storytelling. Explore an ever-shifting Victorian mansion as a painter seeking to complete his masterpiece, even at the cost of his own sanity.
At a glance
| Bendy and the Ink Machine | Layers of Fear (2016) | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.4/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (89%, 36,934) | Very Positive (88%, 27,676) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | 73/100 |
| Price | $5.99 | $1.99 |
| Install size | 2 GB | 5 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | playable |
| Released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Developer | — | Bloober Team SA |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Bendy and the Ink Machine vs Layers of Fear (2016), point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Bendy and the Ink MachineHorror puzzle gameLayers of Fear (2016)Horror puzzle gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Bendy and the Ink MachineHorror, First-Person, PuzzleLayers of Fear (2016)Horror, Psychological Horror, AtmosphericThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Bendy and the Ink MachineScore 7.4 · 89% on SteamLayers of Fear (2016) ✓Score 7.5 · 88% on Steam · 73 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Bendy and the Ink Machine36,934 reviews · 1 add-on · 2 GBLayers of Fear (2016)27,676 reviews · 2 add-ons · 5 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Bendy and the Ink Machine$5.99Layers of Fear (2016) ✓$1.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Bendy and the Ink Machine ✓VerifiedLayers of Fear (2016)PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Layers of Fear (2016) takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueBendy and the Ink Machine and Layers of Fear (2016) on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The cheaper right now: Layers of Fear (2016) ($1.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Bendy and the Ink Machine (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Bendy and the Ink Machine (2 GB)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
HorrorFirst-PersonSingleplayerPuzzleSurvival HorrorDarkMysteryIndie
Where they differ
CartoonyCartoonActionViolentFunnyCute
Walking SimulatorMultiplayerPsychedelicExplorationLovecraftianSurreal
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Bendy and the Ink Machine is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Layers of Fear (2016) is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Bendy and the Ink Machine | Layers of Fear (2016) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | 4GB Dedicated | — |
| Minimum CPU | — | — |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Install size | 2 GB | 5 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Bendy and the Ink Machine · Layers of Fear (2016).
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Bendy and the Ink Machine and 1 for Layers of Fear (2016). A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Bendy and the Ink Machine and Layers of Fear (2016) in scope?
Bendy and the Ink Machine has drawn 36,934 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 2 GB. Layers of Fear (2016) has drawn 27,676 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 5 GB.
Is Bendy and the Ink Machine or Layers of Fear (2016) better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Layers of Fear (2016) rates higher (7.5 to 7.4). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Bendy and the Ink Machine or Layers of Fear (2016)?
Layers of Fear (2016) is cheaper right now at $1.99, against $5.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.