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 The Phoenix Initiative
Cosmic Ray and The Phoenix Initiative 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 5 years older than The Phoenix Initiative (2023). Cosmic Ray is free; The Phoenix Initiative is paid (5.99 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 The Phoenix Initiative
Choose The Phoenix Initiative if it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Phoenix Initiative launched in 2023.
Both Cosmic Ray and The Phoenix Initiative 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 |  The Phoenix Initiative | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 8 reviews | 70% positive (10 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Cosmocat | Nobody Cares |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Cosmic Ray (2018) is 5 years older than The Phoenix Initiative (2023).
- Cosmic Ray is free; The Phoenix Initiative is paid (5.99 USD).
Cosmic Ray vs The Phoenix Initiative — FAQ
- Should I play Cosmic Ray or The Phoenix Initiative first?
- If you want chronology, Cosmic Ray (2018) came out before The Phoenix Initiative (2023). 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 The Phoenix Initiative 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. The Phoenix Initiative is paid (5.99 USD).