Choose Waves
Choose Waves if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Waves launched in 2011.
Waves vs Isbarah
Waves and Isbarah 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 4 years older than Isbarah (2015). Waves scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than Isbarah (82.6% positive). 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 Isbarah
Choose Isbarah if it's the newer release (2015) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Isbarah launched in 2015.
Both Waves and Isbarah sit in Action and Indie 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 |  Isbarah | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 82.6% positive (23 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | Leikir Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 4 years older than Isbarah (2015).
- Waves scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than Isbarah (82.6% positive).
- Waves is free; Isbarah is paid (13.99 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Isbarah has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Isbarah — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Isbarah first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Isbarah (2015). 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 Isbarah 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. Isbarah is paid (13.99 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Isbarah doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.