Choose Ikaruga
Choose Ikaruga if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,193 Steam reviews back the pick.
Ikaruga vs Vortex Attack EX
Ikaruga and Vortex Attack EX 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. Ikaruga (2014) is 5 years older than Vortex Attack EX (2019). Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Vortex Attack EX (81.8% 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 Vortex Attack EX
Choose Vortex Attack EX if you want a Casual game with Shared/Split Screen Co-op and Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Vortex Attack EX launched in 2019.
Both Ikaruga and Vortex Attack EX sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Ikaruga |  Vortex Attack EX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (1,193 reviews) | 81.8% positive (11 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | TREASURE | KaleidoGames |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Ikaruga (2014) is 5 years older than Vortex Attack EX (2019).
- Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Vortex Attack EX (81.8% positive).
- Vortex Attack EX is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Ikaruga (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Vortex Attack EX has co-op; Ikaruga does not.
- Ikaruga is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Vortex Attack EX has no Deck rating yet.
Ikaruga vs Vortex Attack EX — FAQ
- Should I play Ikaruga or Vortex Attack EX first?
- If you want chronology, Ikaruga (2014) came out before Vortex Attack EX (2019). 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 Ikaruga and Vortex Attack EX 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 Ikaruga run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Ikaruga is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Vortex Attack EX doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.