Choose Shoot 'm Up
Choose Shoot 'm Up if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Shoot 'm Up launched in 2021.
Shoot 'm Up vs Hot steel
Shoot 'm Up and Hot steel both land in Action, Indie 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, Indie on Steam. Hot steel (2020) is 1 year older than Shoot 'm Up (2021). Hot steel is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Shoot 'm Up (2.99 USD vs. 2.99 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 Hot steel
Choose Hot steel if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Hot steel launched in 2020.
Both Shoot 'm Up and Hot steel sit in Action and Indie 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
 Shoot 'm Up |  Hot steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 1 reviews | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | DukeSoft | SteveClay |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Hot steel (2020) is 1 year older than Shoot 'm Up (2021).
- Hot steel is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Shoot 'm Up (2.99 USD vs. 2.99 USD).
- Shoot 'm Up has co-op; Hot steel does not.
Shoot 'm Up vs Hot steel — FAQ
- Should I play Shoot 'm Up or Hot steel first?
- If you want chronology, Hot steel (2020) came out before Shoot 'm Up (2021). 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 Shoot 'm Up and Hot steel similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Hot steel have multiplayer like Shoot 'm Up?
- No. Shoot 'm Up supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Hot steel is listed as single-player only.