Choose Thunder Ray
Choose Thunder Ray if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Thunder Ray launched in 2023.
Thunder Ray vs Emoji Massacre
Thunder Ray and Emoji Massacre both land in Action, Sports, 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, Sports, Indie on Steam. Thunder Ray (2023) is 3 years older than Emoji Massacre (2026). Emoji Massacre is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Thunder Ray (2.99 USD vs. 14.99 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 Emoji Massacre
Choose Emoji Massacre if you want the Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Emoji Massacre launched in 2026.
Both Thunder Ray and Emoji Massacre sit in Action, Sports, 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
 Thunder Ray |  Emoji Massacre | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Sports, Indie, Casual | Action, Sports, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 61.2% positive (139 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Purple Tree S R L | UndaWirrld Arcade |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Sports, Indie on Steam.
- Thunder Ray (2023) is 3 years older than Emoji Massacre (2026).
- Emoji Massacre is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Thunder Ray (2.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Thunder Ray is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Emoji Massacre has no Deck rating yet.
Thunder Ray vs Emoji Massacre — FAQ
- Should I play Thunder Ray or Emoji Massacre first?
- If you want chronology, Thunder Ray (2023) came out before Emoji Massacre (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 Thunder Ray and Emoji Massacre similar?
- They overlap on Action, Sports, 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 Thunder Ray have multiplayer like Emoji Massacre?
- No. Emoji Massacre supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Thunder Ray is listed as single-player only.
- Does Thunder Ray run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Thunder Ray is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Emoji Massacre doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.