Choose Maelstrom
Choose Maelstrom if you want a Strategy, Indie, and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 1,821 Steam reviews back the pick.
Maelstrom vs Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition
Maelstrom and Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition both land in Action, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Maelstrom (2019) is 1 year older than Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition (2020). Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.1% positive) than Maelstrom (82.9% 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 Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition
Choose Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.1% positive across 145,168 reviews.
Both Maelstrom and Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition sit in Action and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Maelstrom |  Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.9% positive (1,821 reviews) | 89.1% positive (145,168 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Gunpowder Games, Inc., Tideturners | Rare Ltd |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Maelstrom (2019) is 1 year older than Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition (2020).
- Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.1% positive) than Maelstrom (82.9% positive).
- Maelstrom is free; Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition is paid (39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Maelstrom is Deck Playable, Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition is Deck Verified.
Maelstrom vs Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Maelstrom or Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition?
- On Steam reviews Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition scores higher (89.1% positive) than Maelstrom (82.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Maelstrom or Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Maelstrom (2019) came out before Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition (2020). 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 Maelstrom and Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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 Maelstrom and Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Maelstrom ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Maelstrom free?
- Yes — Maelstrom is a free-to-play Steam title. Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition is paid (39.99 USD).