Choose The Chaos Engine
Choose The Chaos Engine if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The Chaos Engine launched in 2013.
The Chaos Engine vs ZAKESTA-Z
The Chaos Engine and ZAKESTA-Z both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. The Chaos Engine (2013) is 11 years older than ZAKESTA-Z (2024). ZAKESTA-Z scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Chaos Engine (75.7% 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 ZAKESTA-Z
Choose ZAKESTA-Z if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. ZAKESTA-Z launched in 2024.
Both The Chaos Engine and ZAKESTA-Z sit in Action on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 The Chaos Engine |  ZAKESTA-Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.7% positive (173 reviews) | 100% positive (33 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Abstraction Games, The Bitmap Brothers | zakichi |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- The Chaos Engine (2013) is 11 years older than ZAKESTA-Z (2024).
- ZAKESTA-Z scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than The Chaos Engine (75.7% positive).
- ZAKESTA-Z is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than The Chaos Engine (4.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- The Chaos Engine has co-op; ZAKESTA-Z does not.
- The Chaos Engine is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; ZAKESTA-Z has no Deck rating yet.
The Chaos Engine vs ZAKESTA-Z — FAQ
- Should I play The Chaos Engine or ZAKESTA-Z first?
- If you want chronology, The Chaos Engine (2013) came out before ZAKESTA-Z (2024). 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 The Chaos Engine and ZAKESTA-Z similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 ZAKESTA-Z have multiplayer like The Chaos Engine?
- No. The Chaos Engine supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while ZAKESTA-Z is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Chaos Engine run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Chaos Engine is rated Deck Verified by Valve. ZAKESTA-Z doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.