Choose War Thunder
Choose War Thunder if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Free To Play game with MMO, Online Co-op, and Adjustable Text Size. 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 Steel Crew
War Thunder and Steel Crew 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 8 years older than Steel Crew (2021). Steel Crew scores higher on Steam reviews (84.1% 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 Steel Crew
Choose Steel Crew if you want an Indie and Early Access game with Tracked Controller Support. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 84.1% positive across 414 reviews.
Both War Thunder and Steel Crew sit in Action 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
 War Thunder |  Steel Crew | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | 84.1% positive (414 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | Magnus Ander |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 8 years older than Steel Crew (2021).
- Steel Crew scores higher on Steam reviews (84.1% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive).
- War Thunder is free; Steel Crew is paid (14.99 USD).
- War Thunder has co-op; Steel Crew does not.
- War Thunder is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Steel Crew has no Deck rating yet.
War Thunder vs Steel Crew — FAQ
- Which is better, War Thunder or Steel Crew?
- On Steam reviews Steel Crew scores higher (84.1% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Steel Crew 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 Steel Crew first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before Steel Crew (2021). 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 Steel Crew 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.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. Steel Crew is paid (14.99 USD).
- Does War Thunder run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — War Thunder is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Steel Crew doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.