Choose Fishards
Choose Fishards if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Fishards launched in 2021.
Fishards vs Realm of Balls
Fishards and Realm of Balls both land in Action, Indie 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, Indie on Steam. Fishards (2021) is 5 years older than Realm of Balls (2026). Fishards is free; Realm of Balls is paid (2.09 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 Realm of Balls
Choose Realm of Balls if you want the Custom Volume Controls and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Realm of Balls launched in 2026.
Both Fishards and Realm of Balls sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online 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
 Fishards |  Realm of Balls | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.09 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (212 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Rivernotch Game Studio | Shuihan Coding |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Fishards (2021) is 5 years older than Realm of Balls (2026).
- Fishards is free; Realm of Balls is paid (2.09 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Fishards is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Realm of Balls has no Deck rating yet.
Fishards vs Realm of Balls — FAQ
- Should I play Fishards or Realm of Balls first?
- If you want chronology, Fishards (2021) came out before Realm of Balls (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 Fishards and Realm of Balls similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Fishards and Realm of Balls have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Fishards ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Realm of Balls ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Fishards free?
- Yes — Fishards is a free-to-play Steam title. Realm of Balls is paid (2.09 USD).
- Does Fishards run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Fishards is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Realm of Balls doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.