Choose Above the Stars
Choose Above the Stars if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Above the Stars launched in 2020.
Above the Stars vs River Attack
Above the Stars and River Attack 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. Above the Stars (2020) is 4 years older than River Attack (2024). Above the Stars is free; River Attack is paid (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 River Attack
Choose River Attack if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. River Attack launched in 2024.
Both Above the Stars and River Attack sit in Action 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
 Above the Stars |  River Attack | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive (20 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | ArmanDoesStuff | Immersive Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Above the Stars (2020) is 4 years older than River Attack (2024).
- Above the Stars is free; River Attack is paid (4.99 USD).
Above the Stars vs River Attack — FAQ
- Should I play Above the Stars or River Attack first?
- If you want chronology, Above the Stars (2020) came out before River Attack (2024). 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 Above the Stars and River Attack 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.
- Is Above the Stars free?
- Yes — Above the Stars is a free-to-play Steam title. River Attack is paid (4.99 USD).