Games like StarVaders
If StarVaders is your kind of game, the closest matches are Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles, Balatro and Wildfrost — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its atmospheric, challenging and contemplative. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →StarVaders is a challenging strategy indie game released in 2025 that blends roguelike deckbuilding with grid-based tactical combat. Players command mechs piloted by distinct operators, each with subclass variety that drastically changes how runs play out according to reviewers. The core loop combines deck-building with spatial tactics where positioning matters like chess, along with chrono-token and energy management systems that smartly mitigate random number generation. Reviewers highlight that synergies feel organic rather than forced, and the short high-skill runs deliver substantial payoffs. The game runs verified on Steam Deck and supports solo play, priced at $17.49. Players describe the experience as atmospheric and contemplative, with an epic scope despite its indie scale, and it holds a 98% positive rating from over 2100 Steam reviews.
About StarVaders: Pilot a powerful mech to fight off the alien invasion in this ULTIMATE fusion of deckbuilding and grid-based tactics. Discover game-breaking combos, rewind time to alter your fate, and protect the future of humanity in this endlessly replayable roguelike.
Players who liked StarVaders also play
Steam players who put hours into StarVaders also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Top pick for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Astrea is a DICE-deck-building roguelike that flips the script on deckbuilders by using dice instead of cards and a unique dual “damage” system: Purification vs Corruption. Build a dice pool strong enough to purify Astrea's out-of-control corruption and save the Star System.
Balatro
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Second-strongest match for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.
Wildfrost
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Third-strongest match for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Take on the elements in Wildfrost, a tactical roguelike deckbuilder! Journey across a frozen tundra, collecting cards strong enough to banish the eternal winter…
Monster Train
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Ranked #4 for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy with StarVaders.
Monster Train is a strategic roguelike deck building game with a twist. Set on a train to hell, you’ll use tactical decision making to defend multiple vertical battlegrounds. With real time competitive multiplayer and endless replayability, Monster Train is always on time.
Roguebook
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Ranked #5 for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Embrace the challenge of a roguelike deckbuilder with unique mechanics from the developers of Faeria and Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering™. Build a team of two heroes, unleash powerful combos and defeat the legends of the Roguebook!
LONESTAR
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Ranked #6 for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
LONESTAR is a strategic Roguelike spaceship deckbuilder. As a bounty hunter, you will capture criminals scattered across the universe. Win the shockwave battle to gain rewards and vacations. Find treasures, customize spaceships, unlock talents, defeat the felons and be a legend!
Rogue Voltage
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Ranked #7 for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
The engineering roguelike. Construct your combos by wiring circuits. Build crazy machines to zap the monsters and trigger satisfying chain reactions. Discover devastating synergies and create overpowered builds.
Pairs & Perils
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Ranked #8 for StarVaders fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Pairs & Perils is a memory-game roguelike and dungeon crawler. Match cards to attack enemies, avoid traps, shop for relics and consumables. Sharpen your mind as you journey through the depths of the dungeon in search of The Dealer.
Reviewers mention these as similar to StarVaders
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Monster Train 2
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Monster Train returns with all new clans, new enemy factions, new challenges, new modes and more! Defend your Pyre in the classic three-tiered, vertical gameplay that made the original roguelike deckbuilder a hit.
Slay the Spire
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
We fused card games and roguelikes together to make the best single player deckbuilder we could. Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and Slay the Spire!
UFO 50
WHY THIS
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
UFO 50 is a collection of 50 single and multiplayer games that span a variety of genres, from platformers and shoot 'em ups to puzzle games, roguelites, and RPGs. Our goal is to combine a familiar 8-bit aesthetic with new ideas and modern game design.
Wildfrost
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Take on the elements in Wildfrost, a tactical roguelike deckbuilder! Journey across a frozen tundra, collecting cards strong enough to banish the eternal winter…
Shogun Showdown
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Shogun Showdown is a turn-based combat game with rogue-like and deck-building elements. Position yourself and attack at the right time, upgrade your tiles and combo them to get ready to face the Shogun!
Monster Train
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy with StarVaders.
Monster Train is a strategic roguelike deck building game with a twist. Set on a train to hell, you’ll use tactical decision making to defend multiple vertical battlegrounds. With real time competitive multiplayer and endless replayability, Monster Train is always on time.
Cobalt Core
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
A sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder with a deep new single-axis spin on tactics games! Dodge missiles, line up your cannons, and blast 'em out of the sky... Then get to the bottom of these time loops, before it's too late!
Balatro
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Reviewers of StarVaders cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below StarVaders at current Steam store prices.
Garry's Mod
WHY THIS
Priced ~71% under StarVaders on Steam right now. Shares Indie with StarVaders.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
Lethal Company
WHY THIS
Priced ~43% under StarVaders on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
People Playground
WHY THIS
Priced ~43% under StarVaders on Steam right now. Shares Indie with StarVaders.
Shoot, stab, burn, poison, tear, vaporise, or crush ragdolls in a large open space.
Vampire Survivors
WHY THIS
Priced ~71% under StarVaders on Steam right now. Shares Indie with StarVaders.
Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you. Be the bullet hell!
PEAK
WHY THIS
Priced ~54% under StarVaders on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
PEAK is a co-op climbing game where the slightest mistake can spell your doom. Either solo or as a group of lost nature scouts, your only hope of rescue from a mysterious island is to scale the mountain at its center. Do you have what it takes to reach the PEAK?
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Grimm's Hollow
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
A spooky, freeware RPG where you search the afterlife for your brother. Reap ghosts with your scythe, explore haunted caves, and eat ghostly treats on your journey through death.
Virtual Cottage
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with StarVaders.
Virtual Cottage gives you a comfy place to rest and be productive without any distractions. Open the game, set yourself a goal and enjoy the atmosphere.
UNBEATABLE [white label]
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
A young girl learns a song. An exclusive side-story set in the world of D-CELL GAMES' upcoming rhythm-adventure.
Eternal Senia
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with StarVaders.
Thoughts and expectations ARPG
Paper Lily - Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
Paper Lily is an RPG horror game in which you can solve puzzles in different ways. Explore a hidden world, meet strange characters, and guide Lacie as she attempts to find answers about her unusual condition.
Z.A.T.O. // I Love the World and Everything In It
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with StarVaders.
USSR, 1986. A girl goes missing in the closed city of Vorkuta-5, yet not a soul seems to be concerned. Uncover the mystery behind her disappearance and transmit your signal to the universe.
![UNBEATABLE [white label] — Steam game cover](https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1290490/header.jpg?t=1736770503)
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Balatro
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and a challenging mood with StarVaders.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.
Wildfrost
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Take on the elements in Wildfrost, a tactical roguelike deckbuilder! Journey across a frozen tundra, collecting cards strong enough to banish the eternal winter…
LONESTAR
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
LONESTAR is a strategic Roguelike spaceship deckbuilder. As a bounty hunter, you will capture criminals scattered across the universe. Win the shockwave battle to gain rewards and vacations. Find treasures, customize spaceships, unlock talents, defeat the felons and be a legend!
Rogue Voltage
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
The engineering roguelike. Construct your combos by wiring circuits. Build crazy machines to zap the monsters and trigger satisfying chain reactions. Discover devastating synergies and create overpowered builds.
Pairs & Perils
WHY THIS
Shares deck building and an atmospheric mood with StarVaders.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Strategy and Indie with StarVaders.
Pairs & Perils is a memory-game roguelike and dungeon crawler. Match cards to attack enemies, avoid traps, shop for relics and consumables. Sharpen your mind as you journey through the depths of the dungeon in search of The Dealer.
Frequently asked about StarVaders
- Is StarVaders verified for Steam Deck?
- Yes — StarVaders is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
- How much does StarVaders cost?
- StarVaders is listed on Steam at 17.49 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to StarVaders?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside StarVaders are Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles, Balatro, Wildfrost.
- Who developed StarVaders?
- StarVaders was developed by Pengonauts and published by Joystick Ventures.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on StarVaders.
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