Choose APICO
Choose APICO if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,158 Steam reviews back the pick.
APICO vs Retail Rivals
APICO and Retail Rivals both land in Simulation, Casual 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 Simulation, Casual on Steam. APICO (2022) is 4 years older than Retail Rivals (2026). Both support cooperative play. 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 Retail Rivals
Choose Retail Rivals if you want an Indie game with Online PvP, PvP, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Retail Rivals launched in 2026.
Both APICO and Retail Rivals sit in Simulation and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Color Alternatives, 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
 APICO |  Retail Rivals | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Simulation, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 92.8% positive (1,158 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | ellraiser, TNgineers | DreamStudios, Ezernia Studios, Sandstorm in a Bottle |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- APICO (2022) is 4 years older than Retail Rivals (2026).
- Both support cooperative play.
- APICO is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Retail Rivals has no Deck rating yet.
APICO vs Retail Rivals — FAQ
- Should I play APICO or Retail Rivals first?
- If you want chronology, APICO (2022) came out before Retail Rivals (2026). 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 APICO and Retail Rivals similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, Casual 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 APICO and Retail Rivals have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: APICO ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Retail Rivals ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does APICO run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — APICO is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Retail Rivals doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.