Choose The Van Game
Choose The Van Game if you want an Adventure and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Van Game launched in 2022.
The Van Game vs Steel Racer
The Van Game and Steel Racer both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. The Van Game (2022) is 1 year older than Steel Racer (2023). Steel Racer scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than The Van Game (90.9% 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 Steel Racer
Choose Steel Racer if you want a Sports and Racing game with Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Keyboard Only Option. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Steel Racer launched in 2023.
Both The Van Game and Steel Racer sit in 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
 The Van Game |  Steel Racer | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure, Casual | Sports, Indie, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 2.79 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.9% positive (11 reviews) | 94.4% positive (18 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bruce Belk | lightUP |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- The Van Game (2022) is 1 year older than Steel Racer (2023).
- Steel Racer scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than The Van Game (90.9% positive).
- The Van Game is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Steel Racer (0.99 USD vs. 2.79 USD).
- Steel Racer is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Van Game has no Deck rating yet.
The Van Game vs Steel Racer — FAQ
- Should I play The Van Game or Steel Racer first?
- If you want chronology, The Van Game (2022) came out before Steel Racer (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 The Van Game and Steel Racer similar?
- They overlap on 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.