IMHO.

Deathsmiles vs Spark

Deathsmiles and Spark 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. Deathsmiles (2016) is 1 year older than Spark (2017). Deathsmiles scores higher on Steam reviews (96% positive) than Spark (86.4% 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 Deathsmiles

Choose Deathsmiles 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. Deathsmiles launched in 2016.

Choose Spark

Choose Spark if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Spark launched in 2017.

Both Deathsmiles and Spark 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

Deathsmiles vs Spark — Steam metadata comparison
Deathsmiles — Steam game coverDeathsmilesSpark — Steam game coverSpark
Released20162017
GenresAction, IndieAction, Indie, Free To Play, Casual
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price19.99 USDFree to play
Steam reviews96% positive (299 reviews)86.4% positive (22 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerSingle-player only
DevelopersCAVE Interactive CO.,LTD.Knightmare Games, Limited

Side by side

Deathsmiles vs Spark — FAQ

Should I play Deathsmiles or Spark first?
If you want chronology, Deathsmiles (2016) came out before Spark (2017). 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 Deathsmiles and Spark 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 Spark have multiplayer like Deathsmiles?
No. Deathsmiles supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Spark is listed as single-player only.
Is Spark free?
Yes — Spark is a free-to-play Steam title. Deathsmiles is paid (19.99 USD).
Does Deathsmiles run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Deathsmiles is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Spark doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Deathsmiles vs Spark — Verdict (2026) · imho.run