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 Nanostorm
Waves and Nanostorm 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 14 years older than Nanostorm (2025). Waves is free; Nanostorm 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 Nanostorm
Choose Nanostorm if you want a Strategy and Casual game with Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Nanostorm launched in 2025.
Both Waves and Nanostorm 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 |  Nanostorm | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | Asylum Square |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 14 years older than Nanostorm (2025).
- Waves is free; Nanostorm is paid (2.99 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Nanostorm has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Nanostorm — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Nanostorm first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Nanostorm (2025). 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 Nanostorm 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. Nanostorm is paid (2.99 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Nanostorm doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.