Choose IndependANT
Choose IndependANT if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. IndependANT launched in 2023.
IndependANT vs Nocto And The Ray Of Light
IndependANT and Nocto And The Ray Of Light both land in Action, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. IndependANT (2023) is 3 years older than Nocto And The Ray Of Light (2026). IndependANT is free; Nocto And The Ray Of Light is paid (8.39 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 Nocto And The Ray Of Light
Choose Nocto And The Ray Of Light if you want an Indie game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Nocto And The Ray Of Light launched in 2026.
Both IndependANT and Nocto And The Ray Of Light sit in Action and Adventure 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
 IndependANT |  Nocto And The Ray Of Light | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 8.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.1% positive (74 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Young Horses: Free Range, Young Horses | Spacefarer Retro Remasters LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- IndependANT (2023) is 3 years older than Nocto And The Ray Of Light (2026).
- IndependANT is free; Nocto And The Ray Of Light is paid (8.39 USD).
- Nocto And The Ray Of Light has co-op; IndependANT does not.
- IndependANT is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Nocto And The Ray Of Light has no Deck rating yet.
IndependANT vs Nocto And The Ray Of Light — FAQ
- Should I play IndependANT or Nocto And The Ray Of Light first?
- If you want chronology, IndependANT (2023) came out before Nocto And The Ray Of Light (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 IndependANT and Nocto And The Ray Of Light similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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.
- Does IndependANT have multiplayer like Nocto And The Ray Of Light?
- No. Nocto And The Ray Of Light supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while IndependANT is listed as single-player only.
- Is IndependANT free?
- Yes — IndependANT is a free-to-play Steam title. Nocto And The Ray Of Light is paid (8.39 USD).
- Does IndependANT run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — IndependANT is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Nocto And The Ray Of Light doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.