IMHO.

Nuclear Throne vs Rocket Rats

Nuclear Throne and Rocket Rats 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. Nuclear Throne (2015) is 9 years older than Rocket Rats (2024). Nuclear Throne scores higher on Steam reviews (96.5% positive) than Rocket Rats (93.3% 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 Nuclear Throne

Choose Nuclear Throne if you want an Indie and RPG game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.5% positive across 9,705 reviews.

Choose Rocket Rats

Choose Rocket Rats if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Rocket Rats launched in 2024.

Both Nuclear Throne and Rocket Rats sit in Action 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 vs Rocket Rats — Steam metadata comparison
Nuclear Throne — Steam game coverNuclear ThroneRocket Rats — Steam game coverRocket Rats
Released20152024
GenresAction, Indie, RPGAction, Casual
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Verified
Price11.99 USD5.99 USD
Steam reviews96.5% positive (9,705 reviews)93.3% positive (668 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersVlambeerGagonfe

Side by side

Nuclear Throne vs Rocket Rats — FAQ

Which is better, Nuclear Throne or Rocket Rats?
On Steam reviews Nuclear Throne scores higher (96.5% positive) than Rocket Rats (93.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Nuclear Throne is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Nuclear Throne or Rocket Rats first?
If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before Rocket Rats (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 Nuclear Throne and Rocket Rats 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 Rocket Rats have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Rocket Rats is listed as single-player only.
Do Nuclear Throne and Rocket Rats 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.
Nuclear Throne vs Rocket Rats — Verdict (2026) · imho.run