Choose Retrowave
Choose Retrowave if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. 4,594 Steam reviews back the pick.
Retrowave vs Synthwave Driver
Retrowave and Synthwave Driver both land in Action, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Retrowave (2022) is 3 years older than Synthwave Driver (2025). Retrowave scores higher on Steam reviews (95% positive) than Synthwave Driver (87.2% 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 Synthwave Driver
Choose Synthwave Driver if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Synthwave Driver launched in 2025.
Both Retrowave and Synthwave Driver sit in Action, Indie, and Simulation 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
 Retrowave |  Synthwave Driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual, Racing | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual, Early Access, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95% positive (4,594 reviews) | 87.2% positive (39 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | RewindApp | Runebox Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Retrowave (2022) is 3 years older than Synthwave Driver (2025).
- Retrowave scores higher on Steam reviews (95% positive) than Synthwave Driver (87.2% positive).
- Synthwave Driver is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Retrowave (2.99 USD vs. 2.99 USD).
- Retrowave is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Synthwave Driver has no Deck rating yet.
Retrowave vs Synthwave Driver — FAQ
- Should I play Retrowave or Synthwave Driver first?
- If you want chronology, Retrowave (2022) came out before Synthwave Driver (2025). 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 Retrowave and Synthwave Driver similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Simulation 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 Synthwave Driver have multiplayer like Retrowave?
- No. Retrowave supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Synthwave Driver is listed as single-player only.