Choose Shift Happens
Choose Shift Happens if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Shift Happens launched in 2017.
Shift Happens vs Perplex
Shift Happens and Perplex 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. Shift Happens (2017) is 8 years older than Perplex (2025). Perplex scores higher on Steam reviews (92.3% positive) than Shift Happens (77% 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 Perplex
Choose Perplex if you want a Strategy and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 69% cheaper on the Steam Store. Perplex launched in 2025.
Both Shift Happens and Perplex sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP, 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
 Shift Happens |  Perplex | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 15.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77% positive (670 reviews) | 92.3% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Klonk Games | Cyvana |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Shift Happens (2017) is 8 years older than Perplex (2025).
- Perplex scores higher on Steam reviews (92.3% positive) than Shift Happens (77% positive).
- Perplex is currently ~69% cheaper on Steam than Shift Happens (4.99 USD vs. 15.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Shift Happens is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Perplex has no Deck rating yet.
Shift Happens vs Perplex — FAQ
- Should I play Shift Happens or Perplex first?
- If you want chronology, Shift Happens (2017) came out before Perplex (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 Shift Happens and Perplex 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.
- Do both Shift Happens and Perplex have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Shift Happens ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Perplex ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.
- Does Shift Happens run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Shift Happens is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Perplex doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.