Choose BRINK
Choose BRINK if you want a Free To Play game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 4,881 Steam reviews back the pick.
BRINK vs LIGHTNING
BRINK and LIGHTNING 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. BRINK (2011) is 12 years older than LIGHTNING (2023). BRINK is free; LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 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 LIGHTNING
Choose LIGHTNING if you want an Early Access game with Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. LIGHTNING launched in 2023.
Both BRINK and LIGHTNING sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player and Co-op, 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
 BRINK |  LIGHTNING | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Free To Play | Action, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 59.7% positive (4,881 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Splash Damage | AIONWARE LTD, H. Senemar |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- BRINK (2011) is 12 years older than LIGHTNING (2023).
- BRINK is free; LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- BRINK is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; LIGHTNING has no Deck rating yet.
BRINK vs LIGHTNING — FAQ
- Should I play BRINK or LIGHTNING first?
- If you want chronology, BRINK (2011) came out before LIGHTNING (2023). 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 BRINK and LIGHTNING 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.
- Do both BRINK and LIGHTNING have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: BRINK ships Co-op; LIGHTNING ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is BRINK free?
- Yes — BRINK is a free-to-play Steam title. LIGHTNING is paid (9.99 USD).
- Does BRINK run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — BRINK is rated Deck Playable by Valve. LIGHTNING doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.