Choose Vacuum Pilot
Choose Vacuum Pilot if you want a Free To Play game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Vacuum Pilot launched in 2022.
Vacuum Pilot vs Phantom Spark
Vacuum Pilot and Phantom Spark both land in Racing 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 Racing games on Steam. Vacuum Pilot (2022) is 2 years older than Phantom Spark (2024). Phantom Spark scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Vacuum Pilot (93.1% positive). 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 Phantom Spark
Choose Phantom Spark if you want a Sports, Indie, and Casual game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Phantom Spark launched in 2024.
Both Vacuum Pilot and Phantom Spark sit in Racing 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
 Vacuum Pilot |  Phantom Spark | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Free To Play, Racing | Sports, Indie, Casual, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.1% positive (72 reviews) | 96% positive (177 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | VacuumDev, Jackerino | Ghosts |
Side by side
- Both are Racing games on Steam.
- Vacuum Pilot (2022) is 2 years older than Phantom Spark (2024).
- Phantom Spark scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Vacuum Pilot (93.1% positive).
- Vacuum Pilot is free; Phantom Spark is paid (19.99 USD).
- Phantom Spark is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Vacuum Pilot has no Deck rating yet.
Vacuum Pilot vs Phantom Spark — FAQ
- Should I play Vacuum Pilot or Phantom Spark first?
- If you want chronology, Vacuum Pilot (2022) came out before Phantom Spark (2024). 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 Vacuum Pilot and Phantom Spark similar?
- They overlap on Racing 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 Vacuum Pilot free?
- Yes — Vacuum Pilot is a free-to-play Steam title. Phantom Spark is paid (19.99 USD).