Choose Infected Friend
Choose Infected Friend if you want the LAN PvP side of the pairing. Infected Friend launched in 2022.
Infected Friend vs DEADWAVE
Infected Friend and DEADWAVE both land in Action, 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 Action, Indie on Steam. Infected Friend (2022) is 4 years older than DEADWAVE (2026). DEADWAVE has co-op; Infected Friend 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 DEADWAVE
Choose DEADWAVE if you want the Online Co-op, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. DEADWAVE launched in 2026.
Both Infected Friend and DEADWAVE sit in Action and Indie 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
 Infected Friend |  DEADWAVE | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 0.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 7 reviews | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | UNICORE Games Studios | Firewall Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Infected Friend (2022) is 4 years older than DEADWAVE (2026).
- DEADWAVE has co-op; Infected Friend does not.
Infected Friend vs DEADWAVE — FAQ
- Should I play Infected Friend or DEADWAVE first?
- If you want chronology, Infected Friend (2022) came out before DEADWAVE (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 Infected Friend and DEADWAVE similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.