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 Nine Skies
Nuclear Throne and Nine Skies 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 11 years older than Nine Skies (2026). Nine Skies scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Nuclear Throne (96.5% 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 Nine Skies
Choose Nine Skies if you want a Strategy and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. Nine Skies launched in 2026.
Both Nuclear Throne and Nine Skies 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 |  Nine Skies | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 3.59 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.5% positive (9,705 reviews) | 100% positive (10 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vlambeer | Ninefold |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Nuclear Throne (2015) is 11 years older than Nine Skies (2026).
- Nine Skies scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Nuclear Throne (96.5% positive).
- Nine Skies is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Nuclear Throne (3.59 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- Nuclear Throne has co-op; Nine Skies does not.
- Nuclear Throne is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Nine Skies has no Deck rating yet.
Nuclear Throne vs Nine Skies — FAQ
- Should I play Nuclear Throne or Nine Skies first?
- If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before Nine Skies (2026). 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 Nine Skies 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 Nine Skies have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
- No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Nine Skies is listed as single-player only.
- Does Nuclear Throne run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Nuclear Throne is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Nine Skies doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.