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 The Bullet Hell
Waves and The Bullet Hell 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 14 years older than The Bullet Hell (2025). Waves is free; The Bullet Hell is paid (2.20 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 The Bullet Hell
Choose The Bullet Hell if you want the Custom Volume Controls and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Bullet Hell launched in 2025.
Both Waves and The Bullet Hell 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 |  The Bullet Hell | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.20 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | SplatHero |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 14 years older than The Bullet Hell (2025).
- Waves is free; The Bullet Hell is paid (2.20 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Bullet Hell has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs The Bullet Hell — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or The Bullet Hell first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before The Bullet Hell (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 The Bullet Hell 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. The Bullet Hell is paid (2.20 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Bullet Hell doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.