Choose Space Trader: Merchant Marine
Choose Space Trader: Merchant Marine if you want the Multi-player and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Space Trader: Merchant Marine launched in 2008.
Space Trader: Merchant Marine vs Test Lab Inc.
Space Trader: Merchant Marine and Test Lab Inc. both land in Action, Strategy, 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Space Trader: Merchant Marine (2008) is 15 years older than Test Lab Inc. (2023). Test Lab Inc. is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Space Trader: Merchant Marine (4.99 USD vs. 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 Test Lab Inc.
Choose Test Lab Inc. if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Test Lab Inc. launched in 2023.
Both Space Trader: Merchant Marine and Test Lab Inc. sit in Action, Strategy, 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
 Space Trader: Merchant Marine |  Test Lab Inc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2008 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie | Action, Strategy, Indie, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 55.2% positive (330 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | — | Zaru |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Space Trader: Merchant Marine (2008) is 15 years older than Test Lab Inc. (2023).
- Test Lab Inc. is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Space Trader: Merchant Marine (4.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Space Trader: Merchant Marine has co-op; Test Lab Inc. does not.
Space Trader: Merchant Marine vs Test Lab Inc. — FAQ
- Should I play Space Trader: Merchant Marine or Test Lab Inc. first?
- If you want chronology, Space Trader: Merchant Marine (2008) came out before Test Lab Inc. (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 Space Trader: Merchant Marine and Test Lab Inc. similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.
- Does Test Lab Inc. have multiplayer like Space Trader: Merchant Marine?
- No. Space Trader: Merchant Marine supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while Test Lab Inc. is listed as single-player only.