Choose Plantera
Choose Plantera if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,682 Steam reviews back the pick.
Plantera vs Bacteria Buster
Plantera and Bacteria Buster both land in Indie, Simulation, 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, Simulation, Casual on Steam. Plantera (2016) is 10 years older than Bacteria Buster (2026). Plantera is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Bacteria Buster (0.59 USD vs. 2.99 USD). 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 Bacteria Buster
Choose Bacteria Buster if you want the Custom Volume Controls and #category_playable_at_your_own_pace side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Bacteria Buster launched in 2026.
Both Plantera and Bacteria Buster sit in Indie, Simulation, and Casual on Steam and both list Playable without Timed Input, Mouse Only Option, and Save Anytime, 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
 Plantera |  Bacteria Buster | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 0.59 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85% positive (1,682 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | VaragtP | Programmer Xiaohui |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Plantera (2016) is 10 years older than Bacteria Buster (2026).
- Plantera is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Bacteria Buster (0.59 USD vs. 2.99 USD).
- Plantera is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Bacteria Buster has no Deck rating yet.
Plantera vs Bacteria Buster — FAQ
- Should I play Plantera or Bacteria Buster first?
- If you want chronology, Plantera (2016) came out before Bacteria Buster (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 Plantera and Bacteria Buster similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, 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.
- Does Plantera run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Plantera is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Bacteria Buster doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.