Choose StarVaders
Choose StarVaders if you want an Adventure game with Camera Comfort, Keyboard Only Option, and Adjustable Difficulty. 2,110 Steam reviews back the pick.
StarVaders vs Balatro
StarVaders and Balatro both land in 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than StarVaders (2025). Both sit near 98% positive on Steam (StarVaders: 2,110 reviews, Balatro: 99,852). 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 Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want a Casual game with Touch Only Option. On Steam, it's currently about 31% cheaper on the Steam Store. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both StarVaders and Balatro sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (98.5% vs 98.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 StarVaders |  Balatro | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 17.49 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.5% positive (2,110 reviews) | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Pengonauts | LocalThunk |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than StarVaders (2025).
- Both sit near 98% positive on Steam (StarVaders: 2,110 reviews, Balatro: 99,852).
- Balatro is currently ~31% cheaper on Steam than StarVaders (11.99 USD vs. 17.49 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
StarVaders vs Balatro — FAQ
- Which is better, StarVaders or Balatro?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: StarVaders sits at 98.5% positive (2,110 reviews), Balatro at 98.1% (99,852). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play StarVaders or Balatro first?
- If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before StarVaders (2025). 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 StarVaders and Balatro similar?
- They overlap on 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 StarVaders and Balatro both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.