Choose Cosmic Ray
Choose Cosmic Ray if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Cosmic Ray launched in 2018.
Cosmic Ray vs Space Defender
Cosmic Ray and Space Defender both land in Action, Indie, 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Cosmic Ray (2018) is 7 years older than Space Defender (2025). Cosmic Ray is free; Space Defender is paid (6.99 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 Space Defender
Choose Space Defender if you want a RPG and Early Access game with Touch Only Option and Save Anytime. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Space Defender launched in 2025.
Both Cosmic Ray and Space Defender sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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 |  Space Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 8 reviews | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cosmocat | Guillaume M92 |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Cosmic Ray (2018) is 7 years older than Space Defender (2025).
- Cosmic Ray is free; Space Defender is paid (6.99 USD).
Cosmic Ray vs Space Defender — FAQ
- Should I play Cosmic Ray or Space Defender first?
- If you want chronology, Cosmic Ray (2018) came out before Space Defender (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 Cosmic Ray and Space Defender similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Is Cosmic Ray free?
- Yes — Cosmic Ray is a free-to-play Steam title. Space Defender is paid (6.99 USD).