Choose Owlboy
Choose Owlboy if you want an Action game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 2,379 Steam reviews back the pick.
Owlboy vs Retro Machina
Owlboy and Retro Machina both land in Indie, Adventure 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. Owlboy (2016) is 5 years older than Retro Machina (2021). Owlboy scores higher on Steam reviews (85.8% positive) than Retro Machina (76.7% 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 Retro Machina
Choose Retro Machina if it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Retro Machina launched in 2021.
Both Owlboy and Retro Machina sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 Owlboy |  Retro Machina | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.8% positive (2,379 reviews) | 76.7% positive (60 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | D-Pad Studio | Orbit Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Owlboy (2016) is 5 years older than Retro Machina (2021).
- Owlboy scores higher on Steam reviews (85.8% positive) than Retro Machina (76.7% positive).
- Retro Machina is currently ~15% cheaper on Steam than Owlboy (16.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Owlboy is Deck Verified, Retro Machina is Deck Unsupported.
Owlboy vs Retro Machina — FAQ
- Should I play Owlboy or Retro Machina first?
- If you want chronology, Owlboy (2016) came out before Retro Machina (2021). 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 Owlboy and Retro Machina similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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.