Choose Shrimp.io
Choose Shrimp.io if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shrimp.io launched in 2024.
Shrimp.io vs Starforge Pirate
Shrimp.io and Starforge Pirate both land in Action, Strategy, 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Shrimp.io (2024) is 2 years older than Starforge Pirate (2026). Shrimp.io is free; Starforge Pirate is paid (Price unknown). 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 Starforge Pirate
Choose Starforge Pirate if you want an Adventure, RPG, and Early Access experience. Starforge Pirate launched in 2026.
Both Shrimp.io and Starforge Pirate sit in Action, Strategy, 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
 Shrimp.io |  Starforge Pirate | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 86.1% positive (194 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | VuVuu | White Whale Gaming Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Shrimp.io (2024) is 2 years older than Starforge Pirate (2026).
- Shrimp.io is free; Starforge Pirate is paid (Price unknown).
- Shrimp.io is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Starforge Pirate has no Deck rating yet.
Shrimp.io vs Starforge Pirate — FAQ
- Should I play Shrimp.io or Starforge Pirate first?
- If you want chronology, Shrimp.io (2024) came out before Starforge Pirate (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 Shrimp.io and Starforge Pirate similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.
- Is Shrimp.io free?
- Yes — Shrimp.io is a free-to-play Steam title. Starforge Pirate is paid (Price unknown).
- Does Shrimp.io run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Shrimp.io is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Starforge Pirate doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.