Choose PAKO 2
Choose PAKO 2 if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. PAKO 2 launched in 2017.
PAKO 2 vs Barely Racing
PAKO 2 and Barely Racing both land in Action, Casual, Racing 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, Casual, Racing on Steam. PAKO 2 (2017) is 6 years older than Barely Racing (2023). PAKO 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than Barely Racing (86.7% 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 Barely Racing
Choose Barely Racing if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Barely Racing launched in 2023.
Both PAKO 2 and Barely Racing sit in Action, Casual, and Racing on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 PAKO 2 |  Barely Racing | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual, Racing | Action, Casual, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 8.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.4% positive (267 reviews) | 86.7% positive (15 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Tree Men Games | Fragile Software |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Casual, Racing on Steam.
- PAKO 2 (2017) is 6 years older than Barely Racing (2023).
- PAKO 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.4% positive) than Barely Racing (86.7% positive).
- PAKO 2 is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Barely Racing (5.99 USD vs. 8.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
PAKO 2 vs Barely Racing — FAQ
- Should I play PAKO 2 or Barely Racing first?
- If you want chronology, PAKO 2 (2017) came out before Barely Racing (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 PAKO 2 and Barely Racing similar?
- They overlap on Action, Casual, Racing 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 PAKO 2 have multiplayer like Barely Racing?
- No. Barely Racing supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while PAKO 2 is listed as single-player only.
- Do PAKO 2 and Barely Racing both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.