Choose Second Wave
Choose Second Wave if you want an Indie, Adventure, and RPG experience. Second Wave launched in 2024.
Second Wave vs Heroes of Valor
Second Wave and Heroes of Valor both land in Action, Early Access 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, Early Access on Steam. Second Wave (2024) is 1 year older than Heroes of Valor (2025). Heroes of Valor scores higher on Steam reviews (87.8% positive) than Second Wave (63.3% 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 Heroes of Valor
Choose Heroes of Valor if you want a Casual game with Steam Leaderboards. Heroes of Valor launched in 2025.
Both Second Wave and Heroes of Valor sit in Action and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online 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
 Second Wave |  Heroes of Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access | Action, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Price unknown | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 63.3% positive (60 reviews) | 87.8% positive (671 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Challengers Games Corp. | Fancy Cat Interactive |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Early Access on Steam.
- Second Wave (2024) is 1 year older than Heroes of Valor (2025).
- Heroes of Valor scores higher on Steam reviews (87.8% positive) than Second Wave (63.3% positive).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Second Wave is Deck Unsupported, Heroes of Valor is Deck Playable.
Second Wave vs Heroes of Valor — FAQ
- Should I play Second Wave or Heroes of Valor first?
- If you want chronology, Second Wave (2024) came out before Heroes of Valor (2025). 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 Second Wave and Heroes of Valor similar?
- They overlap on Action, Early Access 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 Second Wave and Heroes of Valor have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Second Wave ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Heroes of Valor ships Online Co-op, Co-op.