Choose Ikaruga
Choose Ikaruga 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. 1,193 Steam reviews back the pick.
Ikaruga vs Retro Invasion
Ikaruga and Retro Invasion 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 8 years older than Retro Invasion (2022). Retro Invasion is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than Ikaruga (1.19 USD vs. 9.99 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 Retro Invasion
Choose Retro Invasion if it's currently about 88% cheaper on the Steam Store. Retro Invasion launched in 2022.
Both Ikaruga and Retro Invasion 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
 Ikaruga |  Retro Invasion | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 1.19 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (1,193 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | TREASURE | CryneX |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Ikaruga (2014) is 8 years older than Retro Invasion (2022).
- Retro Invasion is currently ~88% cheaper on Steam than Ikaruga (1.19 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Ikaruga is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Retro Invasion has no Deck rating yet.
Ikaruga vs Retro Invasion — FAQ
- Should I play Ikaruga or Retro Invasion first?
- If you want chronology, Ikaruga (2014) came out before Retro Invasion (2022). 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 Retro Invasion 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 Retro Invasion have multiplayer like Ikaruga?
- No. Ikaruga supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Retro Invasion is listed as single-player only.
- Does Ikaruga run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Ikaruga is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Retro Invasion doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.