Choose Pirate101
Choose Pirate101 if you want a Strategy, Free To Play, and Casual experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 84.4% positive across 391 reviews.
Pirate101 vs Arcane Waters
Pirate101 and Arcane Waters both land in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG 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 Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam. Arcane Waters (2022) is 1 year older than Pirate101 (2023). Pirate101 scores higher on Steam reviews (84.4% positive) than Arcane Waters (69.3% 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 Arcane Waters
Choose Arcane Waters if you want an Action, Indie, and Early Access experience. Arcane Waters launched in 2022.
Both Pirate101 and Arcane Waters sit in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online 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
 Pirate101 |  Arcane Waters | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 84.4% positive (391 reviews) | 69.3% positive (101 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | KingsIsle Entertainment | Black Mammoth Games |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam.
- Arcane Waters (2022) is 1 year older than Pirate101 (2023).
- Pirate101 scores higher on Steam reviews (84.4% positive) than Arcane Waters (69.3% positive).
- Pirate101 is free; Arcane Waters is paid (Price unknown).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Pirate101 is Deck Unsupported, Arcane Waters is Deck Playable.
Pirate101 vs Arcane Waters — FAQ
- Which is better, Pirate101 or Arcane Waters?
- On Steam reviews Pirate101 scores higher (84.4% positive) than Arcane Waters (69.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Pirate101 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Pirate101 or Arcane Waters first?
- If you want chronology, Arcane Waters (2022) came out before Pirate101 (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 Pirate101 and Arcane Waters similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG 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 Pirate101 and Arcane Waters have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Pirate101 ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Arcane Waters ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Pirate101 free?
- Yes — Pirate101 is a free-to-play Steam title. Arcane Waters is paid (Price unknown).