Choose Gunboat
Choose Gunboat if it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. Gunboat launched in 2020.
Gunboat vs Waves of Steel
Gunboat and Waves of Steel both land in Action, 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, Simulation on Steam. Gunboat (2020) is 3 years older than Waves of Steel (2023). Gunboat is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Waves of Steel (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Waves of Steel
Choose Waves of Steel if you want an Indie game with Color Alternatives, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Waves of Steel launched in 2023.
Both Gunboat and Waves of Steel sit in Action and Simulation 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
 Gunboat |  Waves of Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation | Action, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 91.4% positive (339 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Accolade, Inc. | TMA Games LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation on Steam.
- Gunboat (2020) is 3 years older than Waves of Steel (2023).
- Gunboat is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Waves of Steel (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Waves of Steel is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Gunboat has no Deck rating yet.
Gunboat vs Waves of Steel — FAQ
- Should I play Gunboat or Waves of Steel first?
- If you want chronology, Gunboat (2020) came out before Waves of Steel (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 Gunboat and Waves of Steel similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.