Choose Waves
Choose Waves if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Waves launched in 2011.
Waves vs Hard Minus Classic Redux
Waves and Hard Minus Classic Redux both land in Action, Indie 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 Action, Indie on Steam. Waves (2011) is 10 years older than Hard Minus Classic Redux (2021). Waves is free; Hard Minus Classic Redux is paid (2.99 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 Hard Minus Classic Redux
Choose Hard Minus Classic Redux if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hard Minus Classic Redux launched in 2021.
Both Waves and Hard Minus Classic Redux sit in Action and Indie 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
 Waves |  Hard Minus Classic Redux | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | BALABER1YL, B52 Development Team |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 10 years older than Hard Minus Classic Redux (2021).
- Waves is free; Hard Minus Classic Redux is paid (2.99 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hard Minus Classic Redux has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Hard Minus Classic Redux — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Hard Minus Classic Redux first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Hard Minus Classic Redux (2021). 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 Waves and Hard Minus Classic Redux similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Waves free?
- Yes — Waves is a free-to-play Steam title. Hard Minus Classic Redux is paid (2.99 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hard Minus Classic Redux doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.