Choose Near Sol
Choose Near Sol if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 41% cheaper on the Steam Store. Near Sol launched in 2022.
Near Sol vs Solar Wave
Near Sol and Solar Wave both land in Strategy, Simulation, Early Access 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 Strategy, Simulation, Early Access on Steam. Near Sol (2022) is 4 years older than Solar Wave (2026). Near Sol is currently ~41% cheaper on Steam than Solar Wave (7.99 USD vs. 13.49 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 Solar Wave
Choose Solar Wave if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Solar Wave launched in 2026.
Both Near Sol and Solar Wave sit in Strategy, Simulation, and Early Access 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
 Near Sol |  Solar Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Strategy, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 13.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | — | 75.9% positive (83 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LTide | SavGus Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation, Early Access on Steam.
- Near Sol (2022) is 4 years older than Solar Wave (2026).
- Near Sol is currently ~41% cheaper on Steam than Solar Wave (7.99 USD vs. 13.49 USD).
Near Sol vs Solar Wave — FAQ
- Should I play Near Sol or Solar Wave first?
- If you want chronology, Near Sol (2022) came out before Solar Wave (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 Near Sol and Solar Wave similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation, Early Access 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.