IMHO.

Chicken Invaders Universe vs Steel Crawlers

Chicken Invaders Universe and Steel Crawlers both land in Action, 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 Action, Casual on Steam. Chicken Invaders Universe (2022) is 4 years older than Steel Crawlers (2026). Chicken Invaders Universe is free; Steel Crawlers 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 Chicken Invaders Universe

Choose Chicken Invaders Universe if you want an Indie, Massively Multiplayer, and Free To Play game with MMO and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 2,406 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Steel Crawlers

Choose Steel Crawlers if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, and DualShock Controller Support side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Steel Crawlers launched in 2026.

Both Chicken Invaders Universe and Steel Crawlers sit in Action and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player and Co-op, 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

Chicken Invaders Universe vs Steel Crawlers — Steam metadata comparison
Chicken Invaders Universe — Steam game coverChicken Invaders UniverseSteel Crawlers — Steam game coverSteel Crawlers
Released20222026
GenresAction, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, CasualAction, Casual
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
PriceFree to play4.99 USD
Steam reviews90.1% positive (2,406 reviews)—
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, Co-opMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op
DevelopersInterAction studiosArtcodeup

Side by side

Chicken Invaders Universe vs Steel Crawlers — FAQ

Should I play Chicken Invaders Universe or Steel Crawlers first?
If you want chronology, Chicken Invaders Universe (2022) came out before Steel Crawlers (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 Chicken Invaders Universe and Steel Crawlers similar?
They overlap on Action, 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 Chicken Invaders Universe and Steel Crawlers have co-op?
Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Chicken Invaders Universe ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Steel Crawlers ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
Is Chicken Invaders Universe free?
Yes — Chicken Invaders Universe is a free-to-play Steam title. Steel Crawlers is paid (4.99 USD).
Does Chicken Invaders Universe run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Chicken Invaders Universe is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Steel Crawlers doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Chicken Invaders Universe vs Steel Crawlers (2026) · imho.run