Choose Exertus
Choose Exertus if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Exertus launched in 2019.
Exertus vs STRAYLIGHT
Exertus and STRAYLIGHT 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. Exertus (2019) is 4 years older than STRAYLIGHT (2023). STRAYLIGHT scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Exertus (81.2% 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 STRAYLIGHT
Choose STRAYLIGHT if you want a Racing game with Tracked Controller Support and VR Only. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. STRAYLIGHT launched in 2023.
Both Exertus and STRAYLIGHT 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
 Exertus |  STRAYLIGHT | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.2% positive (133 reviews) | 100% positive (18 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Loneminded | Dr BLOC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Exertus (2019) is 4 years older than STRAYLIGHT (2023).
- STRAYLIGHT scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Exertus (81.2% positive).
- Exertus is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than STRAYLIGHT (1.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- STRAYLIGHT is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Exertus has no Deck rating yet.
Exertus vs STRAYLIGHT — FAQ
- Should I play Exertus or STRAYLIGHT first?
- If you want chronology, Exertus (2019) came out before STRAYLIGHT (2023). 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 Exertus and STRAYLIGHT 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.