Choose Exoplanet: First Contact
Choose Exoplanet: First Contact if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Exoplanet: First Contact launched in 2016.
Exoplanet: First Contact vs Nova
Exoplanet: First Contact and Nova both land in Action, RPG, Early Access 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, RPG, Early Access on Steam. Exoplanet: First Contact (2016) is 9 years older than Nova (2025). Nova is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Exoplanet: First Contact (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Nova
Choose Nova if you want an Indie and Adventure game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Nova launched in 2025.
Both Exoplanet: First Contact and Nova sit in Action, RPG, and Early Access 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
 Exoplanet: First Contact |  Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 72.8% positive (173 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Alersteam | Tenlastic |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG, Early Access on Steam.
- Exoplanet: First Contact (2016) is 9 years older than Nova (2025).
- Nova is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Exoplanet: First Contact (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
Exoplanet: First Contact vs Nova — FAQ
- Should I play Exoplanet: First Contact or Nova first?
- If you want chronology, Exoplanet: First Contact (2016) came out before Nova (2025). 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 Exoplanet: First Contact and Nova similar?
- They overlap on Action, RPG, Early Access 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 Exoplanet: First Contact have multiplayer like Nova?
- No. Nova supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Exoplanet: First Contact is listed as single-player only.