Choose SHENZHEN I/O
Choose SHENZHEN I/O if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.2% positive across 2,198 reviews.
SHENZHEN I/O vs Retro Gadgets
SHENZHEN I/O and Retro Gadgets both land in Simulation 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 Simulation games on Steam. SHENZHEN I/O (2016) is 6 years older than Retro Gadgets (2022). SHENZHEN I/O scores higher on Steam reviews (95.2% positive) than Retro Gadgets (87.9% 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 Retro Gadgets
Choose Retro Gadgets if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Retro Gadgets launched in 2022.
Both SHENZHEN I/O and Retro Gadgets sit in Simulation on Steam, 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
 SHENZHEN I/O |  Retro Gadgets | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation | Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.2% positive (2,198 reviews) | 87.9% positive (298 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Zachtronics | Licorice ehf, Studio Evil |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- SHENZHEN I/O (2016) is 6 years older than Retro Gadgets (2022).
- SHENZHEN I/O scores higher on Steam reviews (95.2% positive) than Retro Gadgets (87.9% positive).
- SHENZHEN I/O is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Retro Gadgets (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
SHENZHEN I/O vs Retro Gadgets — FAQ
- Which is better, SHENZHEN I/O or Retro Gadgets?
- On Steam reviews SHENZHEN I/O scores higher (95.2% positive) than Retro Gadgets (87.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, SHENZHEN I/O is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play SHENZHEN I/O or Retro Gadgets first?
- If you want chronology, SHENZHEN I/O (2016) came out before Retro Gadgets (2022). 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 SHENZHEN I/O and Retro Gadgets similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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.