Choose War Thunder
Choose War Thunder if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Free To Play game with Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 308,911 Steam reviews back the pick.
War Thunder vs Waves of Steel
War Thunder and Waves of Steel both land in Action, 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, Simulation on Steam. War Thunder (2013) is 10 years older than Waves of Steel (2023). Waves of Steel scores higher on Steam reviews (91.4% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% 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 Waves of Steel
Choose Waves of Steel if you want an Indie game with Adjustable Difficulty. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.4% positive across 339 reviews.
Both War Thunder and Waves of Steel sit in Action and Simulation on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls, 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
 War Thunder |  Waves of Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | 91.4% positive (339 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | TMA Games LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 10 years older than Waves of Steel (2023).
- Waves of Steel scores higher on Steam reviews (91.4% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive).
- War Thunder is free; Waves of Steel is paid (19.99 USD).
- War Thunder has co-op; Waves of Steel does not.
- Both are Deck Verified.
War Thunder vs Waves of Steel — FAQ
- Which is better, War Thunder or Waves of Steel?
- On Steam reviews Waves of Steel scores higher (91.4% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Waves of Steel is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play War Thunder or Waves of Steel first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before Waves of Steel (2023). 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 War Thunder and Waves of Steel similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Does Waves of Steel have multiplayer like War Thunder?
- No. War Thunder supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Waves of Steel is listed as single-player only.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. Waves of Steel is paid (19.99 USD).
- Do War Thunder and Waves of Steel 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.