Choose Xenonauts
Choose Xenonauts if you want a Simulation experience. 2,658 Steam reviews back the pick.
Xenonauts vs Underwater Wars
Xenonauts and Underwater Wars both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Xenonauts (2014) is 7 years older than Underwater Wars (2021). Underwater Wars is currently ~68% cheaper on Steam than Xenonauts (7.99 USD vs. 24.99 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 Underwater Wars
Choose Underwater Wars if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 68% cheaper on the Steam Store. Underwater Wars launched in 2021.
Both Xenonauts and Underwater Wars sit in Strategy and Indie 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
 Xenonauts |  Underwater Wars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.3% positive (2,658 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Goldhawk Interactive | Dynamic Lab Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Xenonauts (2014) is 7 years older than Underwater Wars (2021).
- Underwater Wars is currently ~68% cheaper on Steam than Xenonauts (7.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Xenonauts is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Underwater Wars has no Deck rating yet.
Xenonauts vs Underwater Wars — FAQ
- Should I play Xenonauts or Underwater Wars first?
- If you want chronology, Xenonauts (2014) came out before Underwater Wars (2021). 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 Xenonauts and Underwater Wars similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.