Choose Beat Hazard
Choose Beat Hazard if you want a Casual game with Steam Leaderboards, Color Alternatives, and Adjustable Difficulty. 3,477 Steam reviews back the pick.
Beat Hazard vs Viral Reload EX
Beat Hazard and Viral Reload EX 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. Beat Hazard (2010) is 16 years older than Viral Reload EX (2026). Viral Reload EX scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Beat Hazard (95.1% 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 Viral Reload EX
Choose Viral Reload EX if you want the Shared/Split Screen Co-op, DualShock Controller Support, and Gamepad Recommended side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Viral Reload EX launched in 2026.
Both Beat Hazard and Viral Reload EX sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, 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
 Beat Hazard |  Viral Reload EX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2010 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (3,477 reviews) | 100% positive (11 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Cold Beam Games | Retrocade Media |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Beat Hazard (2010) is 16 years older than Viral Reload EX (2026).
- Viral Reload EX scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Beat Hazard (95.1% positive).
- Viral Reload EX is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Beat Hazard (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Beat Hazard vs Viral Reload EX — FAQ
- Should I play Beat Hazard or Viral Reload EX first?
- If you want chronology, Beat Hazard (2010) came out before Viral Reload EX (2026). 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 Beat Hazard and Viral Reload EX 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.
- Do both Beat Hazard and Viral Reload EX have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Beat Hazard ships Co-op; Viral Reload EX ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.