Choose Nuclear Throne
Choose Nuclear Throne if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 9,705 Steam reviews back the pick.
Nuclear Throne vs Zero Distance
Nuclear Throne and Zero Distance both land in Action, Indie, RPG 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, Indie, RPG on Steam. Nuclear Throne (2015) is 12 years older than Zero Distance (2027). Nuclear Throne has co-op; Zero Distance does not. 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 Zero Distance
Choose Zero Distance if you want a Casual game with DualShock Controller Support and DualSense Controller Support. On Steam, it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Zero Distance launched in 2027.
Both Nuclear Throne and Zero Distance sit in Action, Indie, and RPG 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
 Nuclear Throne |  Zero Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2027 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 96.5% positive (9,705 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vlambeer | GTGD |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Nuclear Throne (2015) is 12 years older than Zero Distance (2027).
- Nuclear Throne has co-op; Zero Distance does not.
- Nuclear Throne is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Zero Distance has no Deck rating yet.
Nuclear Throne vs Zero Distance — FAQ
- Should I play Nuclear Throne or Zero Distance first?
- If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before Zero Distance (2027). 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 Nuclear Throne and Zero Distance similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, RPG 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 Zero Distance have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
- No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Zero Distance is listed as single-player only.
- Does Nuclear Throne run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Nuclear Throne is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Zero Distance doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.