IMHO.

AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) vs Just Shapes & Beats

AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) and Just Shapes & Beats both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Just Shapes & Beats (2018) is 1 year older than AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) (2019). Just Shapes & Beats scores higher on Steam reviews (97.4% positive) than AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) (96.3% 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 AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia)

Choose AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) if you want a Strategy, Adventure, and Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,662 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Just Shapes & Beats

Choose Just Shapes & Beats if you want the Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 13,012 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) and Just Shapes & Beats sit in Action and Indie 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. Steam reviews are nearly tied (96.3% vs 97.4% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.

Side-by-side comparison

AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) vs Just Shapes & Beats — Steam metadata comparison
AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) — Steam game coverAfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia)Just Shapes & Beats — Steam game coverJust Shapes & Beats
Released20192018
GenresAction, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Early AccessAction, Indie
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Verified
Price11.99 USD19.99 USD
Steam reviews96.3% positive (1,662 reviews)97.4% positive (13,012 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-opMulti-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op
DevelopersVitamin GamesBerzerk Studio

Side by side

AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) vs Just Shapes & Beats — FAQ

Which is better, AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) or Just Shapes & Beats?
On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) sits at 96.3% positive (1,662 reviews), Just Shapes & Beats at 97.4% (13,012). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
Should I play AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) or Just Shapes & Beats first?
If you want chronology, Just Shapes & Beats (2018) came out before AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) (2019). 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 AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) and Just Shapes & Beats similar?
They overlap on Action, Indie 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 AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) and Just Shapes & Beats have co-op?
Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Just Shapes & Beats ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.
AfterBeat (Project Arrhythmia) vs Just Shapes & Beats · imho.run