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 POOBO
Nuclear Throne and POOBO 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 10 years older than POOBO (2025). POOBO is free; Nuclear Throne is paid (11.99 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 POOBO
Choose POOBO if you want a Free To Play, Casual, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. POOBO launched in 2025.
Both Nuclear Throne and POOBO 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 |  POOBO | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie, RPG, Free To Play, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96.5% positive (9,705 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vlambeer | Merlot Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Nuclear Throne (2015) is 10 years older than POOBO (2025).
- POOBO is free; Nuclear Throne is paid (11.99 USD).
- Nuclear Throne has co-op; POOBO does not.
- Nuclear Throne is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; POOBO has no Deck rating yet.
Nuclear Throne vs POOBO — FAQ
- Should I play Nuclear Throne or POOBO first?
- If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before POOBO (2025). 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 POOBO 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 POOBO have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
- No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while POOBO is listed as single-player only.
- Is POOBO free?
- Yes — POOBO is a free-to-play Steam title. Nuclear Throne is paid (11.99 USD).
- Does Nuclear Throne run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Nuclear Throne is rated Deck Verified by Valve. POOBO doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.