Choose BallisticNG
Choose BallisticNG if you want an Action and Indie game with Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, and LAN PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,916 Steam reviews back the pick.
BallisticNG vs Thick Air
BallisticNG and Thick Air both land in Racing 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 Racing games on Steam. Thick Air (2016) is 2 years older than BallisticNG (2018). BallisticNG scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than Thick Air (46.2% 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 Thick Air
Choose Thick Air if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 93% cheaper on the Steam Store. Thick Air launched in 2016.
Both BallisticNG and Thick Air sit in Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards, 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
 BallisticNG |  Thick Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Racing | Early Access, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (1,916 reviews) | 46.2% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player |
| Developers | Neognosis | People Gotta Play |
Side by side
- Both are Racing games on Steam.
- Thick Air (2016) is 2 years older than BallisticNG (2018).
- BallisticNG scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than Thick Air (46.2% positive).
- Thick Air is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than BallisticNG (0.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- BallisticNG is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Thick Air has no Deck rating yet.
BallisticNG vs Thick Air — FAQ
- Should I play BallisticNG or Thick Air first?
- If you want chronology, Thick Air (2016) came out before BallisticNG (2018). 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 BallisticNG and Thick Air similar?
- They overlap on Racing 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 BallisticNG run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — BallisticNG is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Thick Air doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.