Choose The Swapper
Choose The Swapper if you want an Indie and Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.8% positive across 3,406 reviews.
The Swapper vs Headlander
The Swapper and Headlander 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. The Swapper (2013) is 3 years older than Headlander (2016). The Swapper scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Headlander (89.3% positive). 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 Headlander
Choose Headlander if it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Headlander launched in 2016.
Both The Swapper and Headlander sit in Action 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
 The Swapper |  Headlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.8% positive (3,406 reviews) | 89.3% positive (468 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Olli Harjola, Otto Hantula, Tom Jubert, Carlo Castellano | Double Fine Productions |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- The Swapper (2013) is 3 years older than Headlander (2016).
- The Swapper scores higher on Steam reviews (93.8% positive) than Headlander (89.3% positive).
- The Swapper is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Headlander (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Swapper vs Headlander — FAQ
- Which is better, The Swapper or Headlander?
- On Steam reviews The Swapper scores higher (93.8% positive) than Headlander (89.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Swapper is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Swapper or Headlander first?
- If you want chronology, The Swapper (2013) came out before Headlander (2016). 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 The Swapper and Headlander 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 The Swapper and Headlander both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.