Choose Rivals of Aether II
Choose Rivals of Aether II if you want an Indie game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 5,654 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rivals of Aether II vs ThrustX
Rivals of Aether II and ThrustX both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Rivals of Aether II (2024) is 2 years older than ThrustX (2026). ThrustX is currently ~92% cheaper on Steam than Rivals of Aether II (2.51 USD vs. 29.99 USD). 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 ThrustX
Choose ThrustX if you want the LAN PvP, Custom Volume Controls, and Keyboard Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 92% cheaper on the Steam Store. ThrustX launched in 2026.
Both Rivals of Aether II and ThrustX sit in Action 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
 Rivals of Aether II |  ThrustX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 2.51 USD |
| Steam reviews | 78.6% positive (5,654 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Aether Studios | vazzav studios |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Rivals of Aether II (2024) is 2 years older than ThrustX (2026).
- ThrustX is currently ~92% cheaper on Steam than Rivals of Aether II (2.51 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Rivals of Aether II is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; ThrustX has no Deck rating yet.
Rivals of Aether II vs ThrustX — FAQ
- Should I play Rivals of Aether II or ThrustX first?
- If you want chronology, Rivals of Aether II (2024) came out before ThrustX (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 Rivals of Aether II and ThrustX similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Rivals of Aether II run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Rivals of Aether II is rated Deck Verified by Valve. ThrustX doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.