Choose Phantom Spark
Choose Phantom Spark if you want a Sports, Indie, and Casual game with Online PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96% positive across 177 reviews.
Phantom Spark vs Trackmania
Phantom Spark and Trackmania 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. Trackmania (2023) is 1 year older than Phantom Spark (2024). Phantom Spark scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Trackmania (78.9% 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 Trackmania
Choose Trackmania if you want the LAN PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 13,529 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Phantom Spark and Trackmania sit in Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Phantom Spark |  Trackmania | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Genres | Sports, Indie, Casual, Racing | Racing |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96% positive (177 reviews) | 78.9% positive (13,529 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Ghosts | Nadeo |
Side by side
- Both are Racing games on Steam.
- Trackmania (2023) is 1 year older than Phantom Spark (2024).
- Phantom Spark scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Trackmania (78.9% positive).
- Trackmania is free; Phantom Spark is paid (19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Phantom Spark is Deck Verified, Trackmania is Deck Playable.
Phantom Spark vs Trackmania — FAQ
- Which is better, Phantom Spark or Trackmania?
- On Steam reviews Phantom Spark scores higher (96% positive) than Trackmania (78.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Phantom Spark is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Phantom Spark or Trackmania first?
- If you want chronology, Trackmania (2023) 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 Phantom Spark and Trackmania 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 Trackmania free?
- Yes — Trackmania is a free-to-play Steam title. Phantom Spark is paid (19.99 USD).