Choose Downward Spear
Choose Downward Spear if you want an Early Access experience. Downward Spear launched in 2025.
Downward Spear vs Waste Runner: Critical Waste
Downward Spear and Waste Runner: Critical Waste 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. Downward Spear (2025) is 1 year older than Waste Runner: Critical Waste (2026). Waste Runner: Critical Waste is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Downward Spear (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 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 Waste Runner: Critical Waste
Choose Waste Runner: Critical Waste if you want an Adventure and Casual game with Subtitle Options, Stereo Sound, and Keyboard Only Option. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Waste Runner: Critical Waste launched in 2026.
Both Downward Spear and Waste Runner: Critical Waste sit in Action 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
 Downward Spear |  Waste Runner: Critical Waste | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 100% positive (10 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | imakegame software | Black Scarab Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Downward Spear (2025) is 1 year older than Waste Runner: Critical Waste (2026).
- Waste Runner: Critical Waste is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Downward Spear (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
Downward Spear vs Waste Runner: Critical Waste — FAQ
- Should I play Downward Spear or Waste Runner: Critical Waste first?
- If you want chronology, Downward Spear (2025) came out before Waste Runner: Critical Waste (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 Downward Spear and Waste Runner: Critical Waste 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.