Choose Swarmlake
Choose Swarmlake if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Swarmlake launched in 2018.
Swarmlake vs Orbital Hell
Swarmlake and Orbital Hell 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. Swarmlake (2018) is 8 years older than Orbital Hell (2026). Swarmlake is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Orbital Hell has no Deck rating yet. 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 Orbital Hell
Choose Orbital Hell if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Orbital Hell launched in 2026.
Both Swarmlake and Orbital Hell sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Swarmlake |  Orbital Hell | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 92.9% positive (928 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dominique Grieshofer | Eduard Corral |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Swarmlake (2018) is 8 years older than Orbital Hell (2026).
- Swarmlake is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Orbital Hell has no Deck rating yet.
Swarmlake vs Orbital Hell — FAQ
- Should I play Swarmlake or Orbital Hell first?
- If you want chronology, Swarmlake (2018) came out before Orbital Hell (2026). 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 Swarmlake and Orbital Hell 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 Swarmlake run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Swarmlake is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Orbital Hell doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.