Choose Nine to Five
Choose Nine to Five if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 2,082 Steam reviews back the pick.
Nine to Five vs LIGHTNING
Nine to Five and LIGHTNING 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. Nine to Five (2022) is 1 year older than LIGHTNING (2023). Nine to Five is free; LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 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 LIGHTNING
Choose LIGHTNING if you want an Early Access game with Online Co-op and Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. LIGHTNING launched in 2023.
Both Nine to Five and LIGHTNING sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, 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
 Nine to Five |  LIGHTNING | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Free To Play | Action, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 46.7% positive (2,082 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Redhill Games | AIONWARE LTD, H. Senemar |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Nine to Five (2022) is 1 year older than LIGHTNING (2023).
- Nine to Five is free; LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 USD).
- LIGHTNING has co-op; Nine to Five does not.
Nine to Five vs LIGHTNING — FAQ
- Should I play Nine to Five or LIGHTNING first?
- If you want chronology, Nine to Five (2022) came out before LIGHTNING (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 Nine to Five and LIGHTNING 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 Nine to Five free?
- Yes — Nine to Five is a free-to-play Steam title. LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 USD).