Choose Pigeon Protocol
Choose Pigeon Protocol if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Pigeon Protocol launched in 2023.
Pigeon Protocol vs Battle of BackYard
Pigeon Protocol and Battle of BackYard both land in Action, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Pigeon Protocol is free; Battle of BackYard is paid (Price unknown). Battle of BackYard has co-op; Pigeon Protocol does not. 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 Battle of BackYard
Choose Battle of BackYard if you want the Online Co-op, LAN PvP, and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend.
Both Pigeon Protocol and Battle of BackYard sit in Action, Indie, and Simulation 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
 Pigeon Protocol |  Battle of BackYard | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | — |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 92.2% positive (77 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Bronze Box Interactive | Orion Belt Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Pigeon Protocol is free; Battle of BackYard is paid (Price unknown).
- Battle of BackYard has co-op; Pigeon Protocol does not.
- Pigeon Protocol is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Battle of BackYard has no Deck rating yet.
Pigeon Protocol vs Battle of BackYard — FAQ
- Are Pigeon Protocol and Battle of BackYard similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Simulation 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.
- Is Pigeon Protocol free?
- Yes — Pigeon Protocol is a free-to-play Steam title. Battle of BackYard is paid (Price unknown).
- Does Pigeon Protocol run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pigeon Protocol is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Battle of BackYard doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.