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 Hypnorain
Waves and Hypnorain 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 5 years older than Hypnorain (2016). Waves is free; Hypnorain is paid (4.99 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 Hypnorain
Choose Hypnorain if it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hypnorain launched in 2016.
Both Waves and Hypnorain 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 |  Hypnorain | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (884 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squid In A Box Ltd | Keyreal |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Waves (2011) is 5 years older than Hypnorain (2016).
- Waves is free; Hypnorain is paid (4.99 USD).
- Waves is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hypnorain has no Deck rating yet.
Waves vs Hypnorain — FAQ
- Should I play Waves or Hypnorain first?
- If you want chronology, Waves (2011) came out before Hypnorain (2016). 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 Hypnorain 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. Hypnorain is paid (4.99 USD).
- Does Waves run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Waves is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hypnorain doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.