Choose Overcooked
Choose Overcooked if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,676 Steam reviews back the pick.
Overcooked vs Animal Rivals
Overcooked and Animal Rivals both land in Action, Indie, 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 Action, Indie, Casual on Steam. Overcooked (2016) is 1 year older than Animal Rivals (2017). Overcooked scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Animal Rivals (66.7% 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 Animal Rivals
Choose Animal Rivals if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 59% cheaper on the Steam Store. Animal Rivals launched in 2017.
Both Overcooked and Animal Rivals sit in Action, Indie, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Overcooked |  Animal Rivals | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 16.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (4,676 reviews) | 66.7% positive (12 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. | Blue Sunset Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Overcooked (2016) is 1 year older than Animal Rivals (2017).
- Overcooked scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Animal Rivals (66.7% positive).
- Animal Rivals is currently ~59% cheaper on Steam than Overcooked (6.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Overcooked is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Animal Rivals has no Deck rating yet.
Overcooked vs Animal Rivals — FAQ
- Should I play Overcooked or Animal Rivals first?
- If you want chronology, Overcooked (2016) came out before Animal Rivals (2017). 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 Animal Rivals similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Do both Overcooked and Animal Rivals have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Overcooked ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Animal Rivals ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Overcooked run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Overcooked is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Animal Rivals doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.