Choose Waves
Choose Waves if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Waves launched in 2011.
Waves vs Space Waves
Waves and Space Waves 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 10 years older than Space Waves (2021). Waves is free; Space Waves is paid (1.39 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 Space Waves
Choose Space Waves if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Space Waves launched in 2021.
Both Waves and Space Waves sit in Action on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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 |  Space Waves | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 1.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | Paul Connor |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 10 years older than Space Waves (2021).
- Waves is free; Space Waves is paid (1.39 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Space Waves has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Space Waves — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Space Waves first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Space Waves (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 Space Waves 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. Space Waves is paid (1.39 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Space Waves doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.