Choose Software Inc.
Choose Software Inc. if you want a Strategy and Early Access game with LAN PvP, LAN Co-op, and Adjustable Text Size. 5,491 Steam reviews back the pick.
Software Inc. vs Retail Rivals
Software Inc. and Retail Rivals both land in Indie, Simulation 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 Indie, Simulation on Steam. Software Inc. (2015) is 11 years older than Retail Rivals (2026). Both support cooperative play. 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 Retail Rivals
Choose Retail Rivals if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Retail Rivals launched in 2026.
Both Software Inc. and Retail Rivals sit in Indie and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Software Inc. |  Retail Rivals | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 22.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 94.3% positive (5,491 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Coredumping | DreamStudios, Ezernia Studios, Sandstorm in a Bottle |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Software Inc. (2015) is 11 years older than Retail Rivals (2026).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Software Inc. is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Retail Rivals has no Deck rating yet.
Software Inc. vs Retail Rivals — FAQ
- Should I play Software Inc. or Retail Rivals first?
- If you want chronology, Software Inc. (2015) came out before Retail Rivals (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 Software Inc. and Retail Rivals similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation 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 Software Inc. and Retail Rivals have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Software Inc. ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Retail Rivals ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Software Inc. run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Software Inc. is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Retail Rivals doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.