Should I play Alpha Shark or The Cenozoic Era first?

If you want chronology, Alpha Shark (2021) came out before The Cenozoic Era (2023). 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 Alpha Shark and The Cenozoic Era similar?

They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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 Alpha Shark and The Cenozoic Era have co-op?

Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Alpha Shark ships Online Co-op, Co-op; The Cenozoic Era ships Online Co-op, Co-op.

Is The Cenozoic Era free?

Yes — The Cenozoic Era is a free-to-play Steam title. Alpha Shark is paid (5.99 USD).

Alpha Shark vs The Cenozoic Era

Alpha Shark and The Cenozoic Era both land in Action, Strategy, 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Alpha Shark (2021) is 2 years older than The Cenozoic Era (2023). Alpha Shark scores higher on Steam reviews (82.6% positive) than The Cenozoic Era (51.2% 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 Alpha Shark

Choose Alpha Shark if you want a Casual experience. Alpha Shark launched in 2021.

Choose The Cenozoic Era

Choose The Cenozoic Era if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Early Access game with MMO. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Cenozoic Era launched in 2023.

Both Alpha Shark and The Cenozoic Era sit in Action, Strategy, 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.

Alpha Shark vs The Cenozoic Era — Steam metadata comparison
	Alpha Shark	The Cenozoic Era
Released	2021	2023
Genres	Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual	Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Steam Deck	Unrated	Deck Playable
Price	5.99 USD	Free to play
Steam reviews	82.6% positive (23 reviews)	51.2% positive (662 reviews)
Multiplayer	Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op	Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
Developers	Revmatek	Opendix [Studios]

Side by side

Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
Alpha Shark (2021) is 2 years older than The Cenozoic Era (2023).
Alpha Shark scores higher on Steam reviews (82.6% positive) than The Cenozoic Era (51.2% positive).
The Cenozoic Era is free; Alpha Shark is paid (5.99 USD).
Both support cooperative play.
The Cenozoic Era is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Alpha Shark has no Deck rating yet.