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 Shmadow
Ikaruga and Shmadow 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 1 year older than Shmadow (2015). Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shmadow (83.1% 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 Shmadow
Choose Shmadow if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shmadow launched in 2015.
Both Ikaruga and Shmadow 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 |  Shmadow | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (1,193 reviews) | 83.1% positive (59 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | TREASURE | Extrokold Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Ikaruga (2014) is 1 year older than Shmadow (2015).
- Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Shmadow (83.1% positive).
- Shmadow is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Ikaruga (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Ikaruga is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Shmadow has no Deck rating yet.
Ikaruga vs Shmadow — FAQ
- Should I play Ikaruga or Shmadow first?
- If you want chronology, Ikaruga (2014) came out before Shmadow (2015). 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 Shmadow 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. Shmadow doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.