Choose Surge
Choose Surge if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.2% positive across 209 reviews.
Surge vs Synth Riders
Surge and Synth Riders both land in 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 are Indie games on Steam. Surge (2016) is 3 years older than Synth Riders (2019). Surge scores higher on Steam reviews (95.2% positive) than Synth Riders (92.9% 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 Synth Riders
Choose Synth Riders if you want an Action and Casual game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,006 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Surge and Synth Riders sit in Indie on Steam and both list VR Only, 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
 Surge |  Synth Riders | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Genres | Indie | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.2% positive (209 reviews) | 92.9% positive (1,006 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | House of Secrets | Kluge Interactive |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Surge (2016) is 3 years older than Synth Riders (2019).
- Surge scores higher on Steam reviews (95.2% positive) than Synth Riders (92.9% positive).
- Surge is free; Synth Riders is paid (24.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Surge vs Synth Riders — FAQ
- Which is better, Surge or Synth Riders?
- On Steam reviews Surge scores higher (95.2% positive) than Synth Riders (92.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Surge is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Surge or Synth Riders first?
- If you want chronology, Surge (2016) came out before Synth Riders (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 Surge and Synth Riders similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Does Surge have multiplayer like Synth Riders?
- No. Synth Riders supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while Surge is listed as single-player only.
- Is Surge free?
- Yes — Surge is a free-to-play Steam title. Synth Riders is paid (24.99 USD).