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 WayDown
Nuclear Throne and WayDown 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 WayDown (2018). WayDown 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 WayDown
Choose WayDown if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. WayDown launched in 2018.
Both Nuclear Throne and WayDown 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 |  WayDown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 11.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96.5% positive (9,705 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Vlambeer | CakeNeq Games, Dinobyte Softworks LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Nuclear Throne (2015) is 3 years older than WayDown (2018).
- WayDown is free; Nuclear Throne is paid (11.99 USD).
- Nuclear Throne has co-op; WayDown does not.
- Steam Deck: Nuclear Throne is Deck Verified, WayDown is Deck Playable.
Nuclear Throne vs WayDown — FAQ
- Should I play Nuclear Throne or WayDown first?
- If you want chronology, Nuclear Throne (2015) came out before WayDown (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 WayDown 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 WayDown have multiplayer like Nuclear Throne?
- No. Nuclear Throne supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while WayDown is listed as single-player only.
- Is WayDown free?
- Yes — WayDown is a free-to-play Steam title. Nuclear Throne is paid (11.99 USD).