Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a RPG game with Online Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 51,728 reviews.
Starbound vs Iron Armada
Starbound and Iron Armada both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Starbound (2016) is 8 years older than Iron Armada (2024). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Iron Armada (76.5% 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 Iron Armada
Choose Iron Armada if you want a Strategy game with LAN PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Iron Armada launched in 2024.
Both Starbound and Iron Armada sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, 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 |  Iron Armada | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 76.5% positive (136 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Bluedrake42, Lucas Melo |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 8 years older than Iron Armada (2024).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Iron Armada (76.5% positive).
- Iron Armada is free; Starbound is paid (14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Iron Armada has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Iron Armada — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or Iron Armada?
- On Steam reviews Starbound scores higher (88.8% positive) than Iron Armada (76.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Starbound is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Starbound or Iron Armada first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Iron Armada (2024). 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 Iron Armada similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 both Starbound and Iron Armada have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Iron Armada ships Co-op.
- Is Iron Armada free?
- Yes — Iron Armada is a free-to-play Steam title. Starbound is paid (14.99 USD).
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Iron Armada doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.