Choose Star Renegades
Choose Star Renegades if you want an Action and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,612 Steam reviews back the pick.
Star Renegades vs Mainframe Defenders
Star Renegades and Mainframe Defenders both land in Strategy, Indie, 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 Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. Both released in 2020. Mainframe Defenders scores higher on Steam reviews (89.3% positive) than Star Renegades (81.4% 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 Mainframe Defenders
Choose Mainframe Defenders if you want the Adjustable Text Size, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.3% positive across 449 reviews.
Both Star Renegades and Mainframe Defenders sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG 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
 Star Renegades |  Mainframe Defenders | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.24 USD | 0.65 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.4% positive (1,612 reviews) | 89.3% positive (449 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Massive Damage, Inc. | Synthetic Domain |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Both released in 2020.
- Mainframe Defenders scores higher on Steam reviews (89.3% positive) than Star Renegades (81.4% positive).
- Mainframe Defenders is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Star Renegades (0.65 USD vs. 4.24 USD).
- Steam Deck: Star Renegades is Deck Verified, Mainframe Defenders is Deck Playable.
Star Renegades vs Mainframe Defenders — FAQ
- Which is better, Star Renegades or Mainframe Defenders?
- On Steam reviews Mainframe Defenders scores higher (89.3% positive) than Star Renegades (81.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Mainframe Defenders is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Are Star Renegades and Mainframe Defenders similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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.