Choose Pendelum
Choose Pendelum if you want a Strategy and Casual experience. Pendelum launched in 2020.
Pendelum vs First Up
Pendelum and First Up both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. Pendelum (2020) is 3 years older than First Up (2023). First Up is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Pendelum (4.99 USD vs. 5.99 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 First Up
Choose First Up if you want an Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. First Up launched in 2023.
Both Pendelum and First Up sit in Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Pendelum |  First Up | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 2 reviews | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | thelaumix productions, Lukas A. Schopf | Galnash Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Pendelum (2020) is 3 years older than First Up (2023).
- First Up is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than Pendelum (4.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Pendelum vs First Up — FAQ
- Should I play Pendelum or First Up first?
- If you want chronology, Pendelum (2020) came out before First Up (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 Pendelum and First Up similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Do both Pendelum and First Up have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Pendelum ships Online Co-op, Co-op; First Up ships Online Co-op, Co-op.