Choose Space Cat
Choose Space Cat if you want an Indie experience. Space Cat launched in 2016.
Space Cat vs Sonic Mania
Space Cat and Sonic Mania both land in Action, Adventure, Casual 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, Adventure, Casual on Steam. Space Cat (2016) is 1 year older than Sonic Mania (2017). Sonic Mania scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Space Cat (90% 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 Sonic Mania
Choose Sonic Mania if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 13,860 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Space Cat and Sonic Mania sit in Action, Adventure, and Casual on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, 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
 Space Cat |  Sonic Mania | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual | Action, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive (20 reviews) | 93.4% positive (13,860 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | ondydev | Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Space Cat (2016) is 1 year older than Sonic Mania (2017).
- Sonic Mania scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Space Cat (90% positive).
- Sonic Mania is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Space Cat (4.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Sonic Mania is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Space Cat has no Deck rating yet.
Space Cat vs Sonic Mania — FAQ
- Should I play Space Cat or Sonic Mania first?
- If you want chronology, Space Cat (2016) came out before Sonic Mania (2017). 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 Space Cat and Sonic Mania similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Casual 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 Space Cat and Sonic Mania have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Space Cat ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op; Sonic Mania ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.