Choose Bartlow's Dread Machine
Choose Bartlow's Dread Machine if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Bartlow's Dread Machine launched in 2020.
Bartlow's Dread Machine vs Mega City Force
Bartlow's Dread Machine and Mega City Force 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. Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020) is 3 years older than Mega City Force (2023). Both sit near 80% positive on Steam (Bartlow's Dread Machine: 15 reviews, Mega City Force: 204). 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 Mega City Force
Choose Mega City Force if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Mega City Force launched in 2023.
Both Bartlow's Dread Machine and Mega City Force sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (80% vs 79.9% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Bartlow's Dread Machine |  Mega City Force | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Verified |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80% positive (15 reviews) | 79.9% positive (204 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Beep Games, Inc., Tribetoy | Undreamed Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020) is 3 years older than Mega City Force (2023).
- Both sit near 80% positive on Steam (Bartlow's Dread Machine: 15 reviews, Mega City Force: 204).
- Bartlow's Dread Machine is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Mega City Force (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Bartlow's Dread Machine is Deck Unsupported, Mega City Force is Deck Verified.
Bartlow's Dread Machine vs Mega City Force — FAQ
- Should I play Bartlow's Dread Machine or Mega City Force first?
- If you want chronology, Bartlow's Dread Machine (2020) came out before Mega City Force (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 Bartlow's Dread Machine and Mega City Force 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.
- Do both Bartlow's Dread Machine and Mega City Force have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Bartlow's Dread Machine ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Mega City Force ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.