Choose Hob
Choose Hob if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's currently about 77% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,912 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hob vs Retro Machina
Hob and Retro Machina both land in Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Hob (2017) is 4 years older than Retro Machina (2021). Hob scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than Retro Machina (76.7% 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 Retro Machina
Choose Retro Machina if it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Retro Machina launched in 2021.
Both Hob and Retro Machina sit in Indie and Adventure 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
 Hob |  Retro Machina | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89% positive (1,912 reviews) | 76.7% positive (60 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Runic Games | Orbit Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Hob (2017) is 4 years older than Retro Machina (2021).
- Hob scores higher on Steam reviews (89% positive) than Retro Machina (76.7% positive).
- Hob is currently ~77% cheaper on Steam than Retro Machina (3.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Hob is Deck Playable, Retro Machina is Deck Unsupported.
Hob vs Retro Machina — FAQ
- Should I play Hob or Retro Machina first?
- If you want chronology, Hob (2017) came out before Retro Machina (2021). 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 Hob and Retro Machina similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure 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.