Choose Pacer
Choose Pacer if you want a Sports and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Pacer launched in 2020.
Pacer vs GRIP: Combat Racing
Pacer and GRIP: Combat Racing both land in Action, Indie, Racing 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, Racing on Steam. GRIP: Combat Racing (2018) is 2 years older than Pacer (2020). GRIP: Combat Racing scores higher on Steam reviews (87.2% positive) than Pacer (72.4% 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 GRIP: Combat Racing
Choose GRIP: Combat Racing if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and VR Supported side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.2% positive across 2,233 reviews.
Both Pacer and GRIP: Combat Racing sit in Action, Indie, and Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Pacer |  GRIP: Combat Racing | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Sports, Indie, Simulation, Racing | Action, Indie, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 72.4% positive (428 reviews) | 87.2% positive (2,233 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | R8 Games Ltd | Caged Element Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Racing on Steam.
- GRIP: Combat Racing (2018) is 2 years older than Pacer (2020).
- GRIP: Combat Racing scores higher on Steam reviews (87.2% positive) than Pacer (72.4% positive).
- GRIP: Combat Racing is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Pacer (29.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Pacer is Deck Verified, GRIP: Combat Racing is Deck Playable.
Pacer vs GRIP: Combat Racing — FAQ
- Which is better, Pacer or GRIP: Combat Racing?
- On Steam reviews GRIP: Combat Racing scores higher (87.2% positive) than Pacer (72.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, GRIP: Combat Racing is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Pacer or GRIP: Combat Racing first?
- If you want chronology, GRIP: Combat Racing (2018) came out before Pacer (2020). 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 Pacer and GRIP: Combat Racing similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Racing 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.