Choose Waves
Choose Waves if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Waves launched in 2011.
Waves vs Normal SHMUP
Waves and Normal SHMUP both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Waves (2011) is 11 years older than Normal SHMUP (2022). Waves is free; Normal SHMUP is paid (1.99 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 Normal SHMUP
Choose Normal SHMUP if it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Normal SHMUP launched in 2022.
Both Waves and Normal SHMUP sit in Action 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 |  Normal SHMUP | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | HyperBitGore |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 11 years older than Normal SHMUP (2022).
- Waves is free; Normal SHMUP is paid (1.99 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Normal SHMUP has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Normal SHMUP — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Normal SHMUP first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Normal SHMUP (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 Waves and Normal SHMUP similar?
- They overlap on Action 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. Normal SHMUP is paid (1.99 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Normal SHMUP doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.