Choose Cosmic Ray
Choose Cosmic Ray if you want an Adventure and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Cosmic Ray launched in 2018.
Cosmic Ray vs Orbital Invaders
Cosmic Ray and Orbital Invaders both land in Action, Indie, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Cosmic Ray (2018) is 2 years older than Orbital Invaders (2020). Cosmic Ray is free; Orbital Invaders is paid (0.99 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 Orbital Invaders
Choose Orbital Invaders if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Orbital Invaders launched in 2020.
Both Cosmic Ray and Orbital Invaders sit in Action, Indie, and Casual 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
 Cosmic Ray |  Orbital Invaders | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 8 reviews | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cosmocat | Shaggy Dwarf |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Cosmic Ray (2018) is 2 years older than Orbital Invaders (2020).
- Cosmic Ray is free; Orbital Invaders is paid (0.99 USD).
Cosmic Ray vs Orbital Invaders — FAQ
- Should I play Cosmic Ray or Orbital Invaders first?
- If you want chronology, Cosmic Ray (2018) came out before Orbital Invaders (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 Cosmic Ray and Orbital Invaders similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Casual 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.
- Is Cosmic Ray free?
- Yes — Cosmic Ray is a free-to-play Steam title. Orbital Invaders is paid (0.99 USD).