Choose Ikaruga
Choose Ikaruga if you want the Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen 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 Echoes III
Ikaruga and Echoes III 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 4 years older than Echoes III (2018). Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Echoes III (75% 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 Echoes III
Choose Echoes III if it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. Echoes III launched in 2018.
Both Ikaruga and Echoes III sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list 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 |  Echoes III | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (1,193 reviews) | 75% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | TREASURE | Binary Zoo |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Ikaruga (2014) is 4 years older than Echoes III (2018).
- Ikaruga scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Echoes III (75% positive).
- Echoes III is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Ikaruga (7.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Ikaruga is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Echoes III has no Deck rating yet.
Ikaruga vs Echoes III — FAQ
- Should I play Ikaruga or Echoes III first?
- If you want chronology, Ikaruga (2014) came out before Echoes III (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 Ikaruga and Echoes III 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 Echoes III have multiplayer like Ikaruga?
- No. Ikaruga supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Echoes III is listed as single-player only.
- Does Ikaruga run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Ikaruga is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Echoes III doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.