Choose STARWHAL
Choose STARWHAL if you want a Sports experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. STARWHAL launched in 2014.
STARWHAL vs Off the Beaten Track
STARWHAL and Off the Beaten Track both land in Action, Indie, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. STARWHAL (2014) is 12 years older than Off the Beaten Track (2026). Off the Beaten Track scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than STARWHAL (92.5% 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 Off the Beaten Track
Choose Off the Beaten Track if you want the Online PvP, PvP, and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Off the Beaten Track launched in 2026.
Both STARWHAL and Off the Beaten Track sit in Action, Indie, and Casual 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
 STARWHAL |  Off the Beaten Track | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Sports, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.5% positive (455 reviews) | 100% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Breakfall | Blackroot Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- STARWHAL (2014) is 12 years older than Off the Beaten Track (2026).
- Off the Beaten Track scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than STARWHAL (92.5% positive).
- Off the Beaten Track is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than STARWHAL (9.99 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- STARWHAL is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Off the Beaten Track has no Deck rating yet.
STARWHAL vs Off the Beaten Track — FAQ
- Should I play STARWHAL or Off the Beaten Track first?
- If you want chronology, STARWHAL (2014) came out before Off the Beaten Track (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 STARWHAL and Off the Beaten Track similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Casual 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 STARWHAL run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — STARWHAL is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Off the Beaten Track doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.