Choose Rakuten
Choose Rakuten if you want an Adventure game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Rakuten launched in 2021.
Rakuten vs Stopping Santa
Rakuten and Stopping Santa 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. Rakuten (2021) is 4 years older than Stopping Santa (2025). Stopping Santa is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Rakuten (1.99 USD vs. 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 Stopping Santa
Choose Stopping Santa if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Stopping Santa launched in 2025.
Both Rakuten and Stopping Santa sit in Action and Indie 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
 Rakuten |  Stopping Santa | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 1 reviews | 100% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | TheRealDan | Hephaestus Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Rakuten (2021) is 4 years older than Stopping Santa (2025).
- Stopping Santa is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Rakuten (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Rakuten has co-op; Stopping Santa does not.
Rakuten vs Stopping Santa — FAQ
- Should I play Rakuten or Stopping Santa first?
- If you want chronology, Rakuten (2021) came out before Stopping Santa (2025). 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 Rakuten and Stopping Santa 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.
- Does Stopping Santa have multiplayer like Rakuten?
- No. Rakuten supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Stopping Santa is listed as single-player only.