Choose Pirate Pop™
Choose Pirate Pop™ if you want a Casual game with Touch Only Option and Save Anytime. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Pirate Pop™ launched in 2016.
Pirate Pop™ vs Heli-Cats
Pirate Pop™ and Heli-Cats both land in Action, 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 share Action, Indie on Steam. Pirate Pop™ (2016) is 7 years older than Heli-Cats (2023). Pirate Pop™ is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Heli-Cats (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 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 Heli-Cats
Choose Heli-Cats if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Heli-Cats launched in 2023.
Both Pirate Pop™ and Heli-Cats sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, Color Alternatives, and Custom Volume Controls, 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
 Pirate Pop™ |  Heli-Cats | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 100% positive (13 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Dadako | DrearyWeary |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Pirate Pop™ (2016) is 7 years older than Heli-Cats (2023).
- Pirate Pop™ is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Heli-Cats (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Heli-Cats has co-op; Pirate Pop™ does not.
- Pirate Pop™ is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Heli-Cats has no Deck rating yet.
Pirate Pop™ vs Heli-Cats — FAQ
- Should I play Pirate Pop™ or Heli-Cats first?
- If you want chronology, Pirate Pop™ (2016) came out before Heli-Cats (2023). 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 Pirate Pop™ and Heli-Cats similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Pirate Pop™ have multiplayer like Heli-Cats?
- No. Heli-Cats supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Pirate Pop™ is listed as single-player only.
- Does Pirate Pop™ run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pirate Pop™ is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Heli-Cats doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.