TOEM vs TOEM 2 — Every Confirmed Difference

The sequel is set a few years later, adds jumping and climbing, and lets companions change your ending. Here is the full confirmed difference list, plus a store-page comparison.

Last checked 2026-08-19 · target search: toem vs toem 2

Do I need to play TOEM first?

No. The developer's Steam description says TOEM 2 "was crafted to be welcoming for both returning fans of TOEM and those who want to jump in for the first time."

That said, the official site does place the sequel in the same continuity: it is set a few years after the original story. So you would be starting mid-timeline, not in a separate universe.

What's new in TOEM 2

These are the changes the developer has stated directly, on the official site or the store pages.

You can jump and climb

The official site puts it plainly:

This time around you can even jump and climb around the environment, allowing you to see the world in a whole new perspective!

This is the single biggest change to how you move. In the first game, exploration was flatter and more constrained; the sequel adds vertical traversal, hidden paths and scenic viewpoints that only exist because you can now get up to them.

Companions who change your ending

Also from the official site:

Along the way, you will make friends who can join you and impact your story and its ending.

Two things are new there: friends can join you rather than just being helped and left behind, and they affect the ending. The first game did not branch this way. What the specific endings are, or how many, has not been published.

Camera attachments

The store description says the camera "has gotten an upgrade" — you can still photograph things to solve puzzles, but new attachments let you deal with problems in each region in less conventional ways. The demo's screwdriver tool is the first of these to be shown publicly.

Stamps gate your progress

In TOEM 2, stamps earned from quests, discoveries and your critter compendium are described as "your ticket to unlocking the next region." Progression is tied to how much you have documented, not just how far you have walked.

A different visual presentation

The official site describes exploring "the world of TOEM in a fresh new look". This has not gone unremarked — one Steam discussion thread is titled "Loved Toem. I... hate the new graphics", so the change is noticeable enough that some returning players dislike it. Both games remain in the series' near-monochrome hand-drawn style.

Full controller support

TOEM is listed on Steam with Partial Controller Support. TOEM 2 is listed with Full controller support and is marked "Gamepad Recommended". A Steam thread from a returning player asks for the first game's mouse-only movement to come back, which suggests the control scheme changed substantially rather than just gaining gamepad buttons.

Store page comparison

Both columns are taken from the games' Steam listings, read on August 19, 2026.

One small detail in that table is easy to miss: the language lists are both 12 long but not identical. The first game supports Turkish; the sequel's list swaps it for Ukrainian.

What has not been confirmed

To be explicit about the gaps rather than papering over them:

• How many regions TOEM 2 has, or whether Deltburg is the first
• How many endings there are, or which companions affect them
• Whether the critter compendium works the same way as the first game's animal collection
• Whether any characters from the first game return
• How long the sequel takes compared to the first game

Is the first game worth playing while you wait?

By the numbers, yes: 11,954 Steam reviews at 99% positive is an unusually strong rating, and it holds a Metacritic score of 79. It is a complete, finished game at $19.99, and it will not spoil the sequel's plot in any way that has been announced.