Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want an Action and RPG game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 51,728 Steam reviews back the pick.
Starbound vs Crime Podcast: 1976
Starbound and Crime Podcast: 1976 both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual 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 Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam. Starbound (2016) is 10 years older than Crime Podcast: 1976 (2026). Starbound has co-op; Crime Podcast: 1976 does not. 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 Crime Podcast: 1976
Choose Crime Podcast: 1976 if you want the Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Crime Podcast: 1976 launched in 2026.
Both Starbound and Crime Podcast: 1976 sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual 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
 Starbound |  Crime Podcast: 1976 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Midnight Archive |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 10 years older than Crime Podcast: 1976 (2026).
- Starbound has co-op; Crime Podcast: 1976 does not.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Crime Podcast: 1976 has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Crime Podcast: 1976 — FAQ
- Should I play Starbound or Crime Podcast: 1976 first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Crime Podcast: 1976 (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 Starbound and Crime Podcast: 1976 similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual 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 Crime Podcast: 1976 have multiplayer like Starbound?
- No. Starbound supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Crime Podcast: 1976 is listed as single-player only.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Crime Podcast: 1976 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.