Choose Nuclear Throne
Choose Nuclear Throne if you want a RPG game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards. 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 Enlightenment
Nuclear Throne and Enlightenment both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Nuclear Throne (2015) is 3 years older than Enlightenment (2018). Nuclear Throne scores higher on Steam reviews (96.5% positive) than Enlightenment (51% 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 Enlightenment
Choose Enlightenment if it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Enlightenment launched in 2018.
Both Nuclear Throne and Enlightenment sit in Action and Indie 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 |  Enlightenment | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.5% positive (9,705 reviews) | 51% positive (51 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vlambeer | LizardKing |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Nuclear Throne (2015) is 3 years older than Enlightenment (2018).
- Nuclear Throne scores higher on Steam reviews (96.5% positive) than Enlightenment (51% positive).
- Enlightenment is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Nuclear Throne (11.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- Nuclear Throne has co-op; Enlightenment does not.
- Nuclear Throne is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Enlightenment has no Deck rating yet.
Nuclear Throne vs Enlightenment — FAQ
- Should I play Nuclear Throne or Enlightenment first?
- If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before Enlightenment (2018). 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 Enlightenment similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Enlightenment have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
- No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Enlightenment is listed as single-player only.
- Does Nuclear Throne run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Nuclear Throne is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Enlightenment doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.