Choose Backyard Baseball '97
Choose Backyard Baseball '97 if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,940 Steam reviews back the pick.
Backyard Baseball '97 vs Backyard Basketball '01
Backyard Baseball '97 and Backyard Basketball '01 both land in Sports, 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 Sports, Casual on Steam. Backyard Baseball '97 (2024) is 1 year older than Backyard Basketball '01 (2025). Backyard Baseball '97 scores higher on Steam reviews (97.6% positive) than Backyard Basketball '01 (90.9% 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 Backyard Basketball '01
Choose Backyard Basketball '01 if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Backyard Basketball '01 launched in 2025.
Both Backyard Baseball '97 and Backyard Basketball '01 sit in Sports and Casual 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
 Backyard Baseball '97 |  Backyard Basketball '01 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Sports, Casual | Sports, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 97.6% positive (1,940 reviews) | 90.9% positive (99 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mega Cat Studios | Mega Cat Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Casual on Steam.
- Backyard Baseball '97 (2024) is 1 year older than Backyard Basketball '01 (2025).
- Backyard Baseball '97 scores higher on Steam reviews (97.6% positive) than Backyard Basketball '01 (90.9% positive).
- Backyard Basketball '01 is free; Backyard Baseball '97 is paid (9.99 USD).
- Backyard Baseball '97 is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Backyard Basketball '01 has no Deck rating yet.
Backyard Baseball '97 vs Backyard Basketball '01 — FAQ
- Should I play Backyard Baseball '97 or Backyard Basketball '01 first?
- If you want chronology, Backyard Baseball '97 (2024) came out before Backyard Basketball '01 (2025). 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 Backyard Baseball '97 and Backyard Basketball '01 similar?
- They overlap on Sports, 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.
- Is Backyard Basketball '01 free?
- Yes — Backyard Basketball '01 is a free-to-play Steam title. Backyard Baseball '97 is paid (9.99 USD).
- Does Backyard Baseball '97 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Backyard Baseball '97 is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Backyard Basketball '01 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.