Choose Circuit Breakers
Choose Circuit Breakers if you want the Steam Leaderboards, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 65% cheaper on the Steam Store. Circuit Breakers launched in 2015.
Circuit Breakers vs Nex Machina
Circuit Breakers and Nex Machina both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. Circuit Breakers (2015) is 2 years older than Nex Machina (2017). Nex Machina scores higher on Steam reviews (90.7% positive) than Circuit Breakers (73.9% 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 Nex Machina
Choose Nex Machina if you want an Indie experience. Nex Machina launched in 2017.
Both Circuit Breakers and Nex Machina sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Circuit Breakers |  Nex Machina | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.9% positive (23 reviews) | 90.7% positive (885 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Triverske | Housemarque |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Circuit Breakers (2015) is 2 years older than Nex Machina (2017).
- Nex Machina scores higher on Steam reviews (90.7% positive) than Circuit Breakers (73.9% positive).
- Circuit Breakers is currently ~65% cheaper on Steam than Nex Machina (6.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Circuit Breakers is Deck Playable, Nex Machina is Deck Unsupported.
Circuit Breakers vs Nex Machina — FAQ
- Should I play Circuit Breakers or Nex Machina first?
- If you want chronology, Circuit Breakers (2015) came out before Nex Machina (2017). 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 Circuit Breakers and Nex Machina similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Circuit Breakers and Nex Machina have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Circuit Breakers ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Nex Machina ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.