Choose A Hat in Time
Choose A Hat in Time if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 29,107 Steam reviews back the pick.
A Hat in Time vs Nocto And The Ray Of Light
A Hat in Time and Nocto And The Ray Of Light both land in Indie, Adventure 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 Indie, Adventure on Steam. A Hat in Time (2017) is 9 years older than Nocto And The Ray Of Light (2026). Nocto And The Ray Of Light is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than A Hat in Time (8.39 USD vs. 29.99 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 Nocto And The Ray Of Light
Choose Nocto And The Ray Of Light if you want an Action game with DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and Camera Comfort. On Steam, it's currently about 72% cheaper on the Steam Store. Nocto And The Ray Of Light launched in 2026.
Both A Hat in Time and Nocto And The Ray Of Light sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, 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
 A Hat in Time |  Nocto And The Ray Of Light | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 8.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.1% positive (29,107 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gears for Breakfast | Spacefarer Retro Remasters LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- A Hat in Time (2017) is 9 years older than Nocto And The Ray Of Light (2026).
- Nocto And The Ray Of Light is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than A Hat in Time (8.39 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- A Hat in Time is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Nocto And The Ray Of Light has no Deck rating yet.
A Hat in Time vs Nocto And The Ray Of Light — FAQ
- Should I play A Hat in Time or Nocto And The Ray Of Light first?
- If you want chronology, A Hat in Time (2017) came out before Nocto And The Ray Of Light (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 A Hat in Time and Nocto And The Ray Of Light similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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.
- Do both A Hat in Time and Nocto And The Ray Of Light have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: A Hat in Time ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Nocto And The Ray Of Light ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does A Hat in Time run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — A Hat in Time is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Nocto And The Ray Of Light doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.