Choose Struggling
Choose Struggling if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Struggling launched in 2020.
Struggling vs Paddle Cats
Struggling and Paddle Cats both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Struggling (2020) is 6 years older than Paddle Cats (2026). Both support cooperative play. 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 Paddle Cats
Choose Paddle Cats if you want an Early Access game with Gamepad Recommended. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Paddle Cats launched in 2026.
Both Struggling and Paddle Cats sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, 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
 Struggling |  Paddle Cats | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (211 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Chasing Rats Games | Polymer |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Struggling (2020) is 6 years older than Paddle Cats (2026).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Struggling is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Paddle Cats has no Deck rating yet.
Struggling vs Paddle Cats — FAQ
- Should I play Struggling or Paddle Cats first?
- If you want chronology, Struggling (2020) came out before Paddle Cats (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 Struggling and Paddle Cats similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual 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.
- Do both Struggling and Paddle Cats have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Struggling ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Paddle Cats ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Struggling run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Struggling is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Paddle Cats doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.