Choose Space Ballers
Choose Space Ballers if you want a Sports game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Space Ballers launched in 2022.
Space Ballers vs Space Pirates
Space Ballers and Space Pirates both land in Indie, 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. Space Ballers (2022) is 4 years older than Space Pirates (2026). Space Ballers is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Space Pirates (1.99 USD vs. 9.89 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 Space Pirates
Choose Space Pirates if you want an Action game with DualShock Controller Support and Gamepad Recommended. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Space Pirates launched in 2026.
Both Space Ballers and Space Pirates sit in Indie and Casual 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
 Space Ballers |  Space Pirates | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Sports, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 9.89 USD |
| Steam reviews | 5 reviews | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Rackaway Studios | whynomakethings |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Space Ballers (2022) is 4 years older than Space Pirates (2026).
- Space Ballers is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Space Pirates (1.99 USD vs. 9.89 USD).
- Space Ballers has co-op; Space Pirates does not.
Space Ballers vs Space Pirates — FAQ
- Should I play Space Ballers or Space Pirates first?
- If you want chronology, Space Ballers (2022) came out before Space Pirates (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 Space Ballers and Space Pirates similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.
- Does Space Pirates have multiplayer like Space Ballers?
- No. Space Ballers supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Space Pirates is listed as single-player only.