Choose Wave Mechanics
Choose Wave Mechanics if you want a Strategy experience. Wave Mechanics launched in 2015.
Wave Mechanics vs Plates
Wave Mechanics and Plates both land in Indie, 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. Wave Mechanics (2015) is 1 year older than Plates (2016). Wave Mechanics scores higher on Steam reviews (82.6% positive) than Plates (70.6% 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 Plates
Choose Plates if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Plates launched in 2016.
Both Wave Mechanics and Plates sit in Indie 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
 Wave Mechanics |  Plates | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.6% positive (23 reviews) | 70.6% positive (34 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Adam Tarnowski | maasgdev |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Wave Mechanics (2015) is 1 year older than Plates (2016).
- Wave Mechanics scores higher on Steam reviews (82.6% positive) than Plates (70.6% positive).
- Plates is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Wave Mechanics (0.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
Wave Mechanics vs Plates — FAQ
- Should I play Wave Mechanics or Plates first?
- If you want chronology, Wave Mechanics (2015) came out before Plates (2016). 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 Wave Mechanics and Plates similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.