Choose Master Arena
Choose Master Arena if you want an Indie game with Shared/Split Screen, Steam Leaderboards, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. Master Arena launched in 2022.
Master Arena vs Lightphobe
Master Arena and Lightphobe both land in Action, Free To Play 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, Free To Play on Steam. Master Arena (2022) is 3 years older than Lightphobe (2025). Lightphobe scores higher on Steam reviews (88.5% positive) than Master Arena (57.3% 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 Lightphobe
Choose Lightphobe if you want the Online Co-op, LAN Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Lightphobe launched in 2025.
Both Master Arena and Lightphobe sit in Action and Free To Play on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and LAN 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
 Master Arena |  Lightphobe | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Free To Play | Action, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 57.3% positive (110 reviews) | 88.5% positive (26 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | CJGames | Allan Chew |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Free To Play on Steam.
- Master Arena (2022) is 3 years older than Lightphobe (2025).
- Lightphobe scores higher on Steam reviews (88.5% positive) than Master Arena (57.3% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Lightphobe has co-op; Master Arena does not.
Master Arena vs Lightphobe — FAQ
- Should I play Master Arena or Lightphobe first?
- If you want chronology, Master Arena (2022) came out before Lightphobe (2025). 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 Master Arena and Lightphobe similar?
- They overlap on Action, Free To Play 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.