Choose Overcooked
Choose Overcooked if you want the Shared/Split Screen PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,676 Steam reviews back the pick.
Overcooked vs Merek's Market
Overcooked and Merek's Market both land in Action, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Overcooked (2016) is 5 years older than Merek's Market (2021). Merek's Market scores higher on Steam reviews (93.3% positive) than Overcooked (91.6% 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 Merek's Market
Choose Merek's Market if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 29% cheaper on the Steam Store. Merek's Market launched in 2021.
Both Overcooked and Merek's Market sit in Action, Indie, and Simulation 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 (91.6% vs 93.3% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Overcooked |  Merek's Market | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 16.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (4,676 reviews) | 93.3% positive (15 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Ghost Town Games Ltd. | Big Village Games Ltd |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Overcooked (2016) is 5 years older than Merek's Market (2021).
- Merek's Market scores higher on Steam reviews (93.3% positive) than Overcooked (91.6% positive).
- Merek's Market is currently ~29% cheaper on Steam than Overcooked (11.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Overcooked is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Merek's Market has no Deck rating yet.
Overcooked vs Merek's Market — FAQ
- Should I play Overcooked or Merek's Market first?
- If you want chronology, Overcooked (2016) came out before Merek's Market (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 Overcooked and Merek's Market similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Simulation 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 Overcooked and Merek's Market have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Overcooked ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Merek's Market ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Overcooked run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Overcooked is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Merek's Market doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.