Choose Smash Up
Choose Smash Up if you want the Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. Smash Up launched in 2016.
Smash Up vs Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game
Smash Up and Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Smash Up (2016) is 10 years older than Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game (2026). Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game is free; Smash Up is paid (6.99 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 Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game
Choose Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game if you want an Indie and Free To Play game with LAN PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game launched in 2026.
Both Smash Up and Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and 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
 Smash Up |  Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 61.7% positive (107 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Nomad Games | Thomas Friedrich Eberhard |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Smash Up (2016) is 10 years older than Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game (2026).
- Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game is free; Smash Up is paid (6.99 USD).
Smash Up vs Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game — FAQ
- Should I play Smash Up or Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game first?
- If you want chronology, Smash Up (2016) came out before Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game (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 Smash Up and Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.
- Is Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game free?
- Yes — Star Squadrons: Galactic Trading Card Game is a free-to-play Steam title. Smash Up is paid (6.99 USD).