Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Ikaruga (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Ikaruga on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.
The short version
- Closest match: Defy Gravity Extended, which both science fiction, puzzle and difficult.
- Ikaruga is tagged Shoot 'Em Up, Bullet Hell, Arcade, Classic, Action, Great Soundtrack, Shooter, Sci-fi by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
- 24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.
- 1 are free to download, so you can test the resemblance yourself at no cost.
How these were matched
Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.
Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.
All 24, closest first
- 1
Defy Gravity Extended
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 10 player tags including Indie, Puzzle and Space.
Defy Gravity is an action platformer that is a mix between classic platforming and gravity based puzzle solving.
Defy Gravity Extended at a glance Released 2016 Studio Paul Fisch Player sentiment 86% positive of 8,531 Price $0.55 IndiePuzzleSpace2DDifficultSci-fiGreat SoundtrackRetro
- 2
Distant Space
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 11 player tags including Shoot 'Em Up, Indie and Arcade.
Distant Space are present the arcade game of cosmic fights in arcade style of the 80's, this is a game where you can control the spaceship and forced to destroy extraterrestrials, which are moving in the certain order.
Distant Space at a glance Released 2016 Studio PixelMouse Player sentiment 82% positive of 3,458 Price $0.99 Shoot 'Em UpIndieArcadeSpaceDifficult2DRetroShooter
- 3
Polarity
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 9 player tags including Puzzle, Indie and Local Co-Op.
Polarity takes it to the next level, demanding all of your wits and reflexes. Full-featured local co-op campaign.
Polarity at a glance Released 2016 Studio Bluebutton Games Player sentiment 79% positive of 4,668 Price $12.99 PuzzleIndieLocal Co-OpSci-fiGreat SoundtrackRetroSpaceShooter
- 4
Zuma
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 9 player tags including Puzzle, Arcade and 2D; released around the same time (2003).
Deep in the jungle lie hidden temples bursting with traps and trickery, and it's up to you to uncover their treasures. Fire magical balls from your stone frog idol to make matches of three or more and clear the deadly chain before it reaches the golden skull.
Zuma at a glance Released 2003 Studio Oberon Media Player sentiment 96% positive of 6,806 Price $4.99 PuzzleArcade2DRetroClassicIndieDifficultAddictive
- 5
VVVVVV
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Indie, Great Soundtrack and Difficult.
VVVVVV is a platform game all about exploring one simple mechanical idea - what if you reversed gravity instead of jumping?
VVVVVV at a glance Released 2010 Studio Terry Cavanagh Player sentiment 96% positive of 10,540 Price $4.99 IndieGreat SoundtrackDifficultRetro2DSci-fiPuzzleSpace
- 6
SpaceChem
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Puzzle, Difficult and Indie.
Zachtronics is back with an ambitious new design-based puzzle game. Take on the role of a Reactor Engineer working for SpaceChem, the leading chemical synthesizer for frontier colonies. Construct elaborate factories to transform raw materials into valuable chemical products!
SpaceChem at a glance Released 2011 Studio Zachtronics Player sentiment 92% positive of 5,085 Price $9.99 PuzzleDifficultIndieSci-fiGreat Soundtrack2DSpaceAddictive
- 7
Cave Story
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Indie, Great Soundtrack and 2D; released around the same time (2004).
Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games.
Cave Story at a glance Released 2004 Studio Daisuke Amaya Player sentiment 93% positive of 8,305 Price $14.99 IndieGreat Soundtrack2DRetroClassicDifficultShooterSci-fi
- 8
Peggle
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 9 player tags including Puzzle, Arcade and Addictive.
Take your best shot with energizing arcade fun! Aim, shoot, clear the orange pegs, then sit back and cheer as 10 whimsical teachers guide you to Peggle greatness.
Peggle at a glance Released 2007 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 98% positive of 14,434 Price $4.99 PuzzleArcadeAddictive2DClassicDifficultLocal MultiplayerGreat Soundtrack
- 9
CrossCode
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Puzzle, Indie and Great Soundtrack.
A retro-inspired 2D Action RPG set in the distant future. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.
CrossCode at a glance Released 2018 Studio Radical Fish Games Player sentiment 92% positive of 18,408 Price $19.99 PuzzleIndieGreat Soundtrack2DRetroSci-fiDifficult
- 10
METAL SLUG 3
Why it matched: both difficult; shares 10 player tags including Arcade, Classic and Retro.
“METAL SLUG 3”, the masterpiece in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game series, still continues to fascinate millions of fans worldwide to this day for its intricate dot-pixel graphics, and simple and intuitive game controls, heads out to the Steam gaming platform!
METAL SLUG 3 at a glance Released 2014 Studio SNK CORPORATION Player sentiment 90% positive of 9,156 Price $7.99 ArcadeClassicRetroLocal Co-OpShooter2DGreat SoundtrackShoot 'Em Up
- 11
Another World
Why it matched: both science fiction, puzzle and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Retro, Sci-fi and 2D.
Also known as Out Of This World™, Another World is a pioneer action/platformer that released across more than a dozen platforms since its debut in 1991. Along the years, Another World™ has attained cult status among critics and sophisticated gamers alike.
Another World at a glance Released 1991 Studio Éric Chahi Player sentiment 83% positive of 2,044 Price $9.99 RetroSci-fi2DControllerDifficultPuzzleClassic
- 12
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Why it matched: both science fiction and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Local Co-Op, Classic and Sci-fi.
Kick Some Brick in I through VI! Play through all six Star Wars movies in one videogame! Adding new characters, new levels, new features and for the first time ever, the chance to build and battle your way through a fun Star Wars galaxy on your PC!
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga at a glance Released 2007 Studio Feral Interactive Player sentiment 97% positive of 25,467 Price $19.99 Local Co-OpClassicSci-fiLocal MultiplayerGreat SoundtrackSpaceControllerPuzzle
- 13
LEGO Star Wars - The Complete Saga
Why it matched: both science fiction and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Local Co-Op, Classic and Sci-fi.
Kick Some Brick in I through VI! Play through all six Star Wars movies in one videogame! Adding new characters, new levels, new features and for the first time ever, the chance to build and battle your way through a fun Star Wars galaxy on your PC!
LEGO Star Wars - The Complete Saga at a glance Released 2009 Studio Traveller's Tales Player sentiment 97% positive of 25,469 Price $19.99 Local Co-OpClassicSci-fiLocal MultiplayerGreat SoundtrackSpaceControllerPuzzle
- 14
Super Hexagon
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Difficult, Great Soundtrack and Indie.
Super Hexagon is a minimal action game by Terry Cavanagh, with music by Chipzel.
Super Hexagon at a glance Released 2012 Studio Terry Cavanagh Player sentiment 97% positive of 25,111 Price $2.99 DifficultGreat SoundtrackIndieArcadeAddictive2DControllerPuzzle
- 15
Beat Hazard
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Bullet Hell, Shoot 'Em Up and 2D.
Experience your music collection like never before with this intense music driven arcade shooter. Each of your songs will have its own unique ebb and flow based on the music.
Beat Hazard at a glance Released 2010 Studio Cold Beam Games Player sentiment 95% positive of 7,449 Price $9.99 Bullet HellShoot 'Em Up2DSpaceIndieArcadeShooterLocal Co-Op
- 16
ibb & obb
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Puzzle, Local Co-Op and Indie.
ibb & obb is a two player cooperative game set in a puzzle filled world where gravity goes both up and down. You can only succeed by working closely together. Find a friend for some true local co-op couch fun or match up online.
ibb & obb at a glance Released 2014 Studio Sparpweed Player sentiment 89% positive of 6,830 Price $11.99 PuzzleLocal Co-OpIndie2DDifficultGreat SoundtrackLocal MultiplayerController
- 17
Zero Wing
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 9 player tags including Shoot 'Em Up, Arcade and 2D.
Defend the galaxy from vicious space pirates! Seize your foes and fire them back at their allies for devastating destruction in Toaplan's legendary horizontal arcade shooter, now on PC with all-new features and quality-of-life bonuses!
Zero Wing at a glance Released 1989 Studio Toaplan Player sentiment 88% positive of 85 Price $7.99 Shoot 'Em UpArcade2DControllerSci-fiSpaceRetroLocal Co-Op
- 18
Super Crate Box
Why it matched: both difficult; shares 9 player tags including Indie, 2D and Shooter.
Vlambeer's SUPER CRATE BOX is coming to bring back the glory of the golden arcade age, when all that really mattered was getting on that high score list. Grab your baseball cap and loosen your pants, it's time to fight endless hordes of enemies and collect every weapon crate you can.
Super Crate Box at a glance Released 2012 Studio Vlambeer Player sentiment 89% positive of 6,444 Price Free Indie2DShooterArcadeDifficultRetroAddictiveController
- 19
Half-Life: Opposing Force
Why it matched: both science fiction and puzzle; shares 6 player tags including Classic, Sci-fi and Shooter; released around the same time (1999).
Return to the Black Mesa Research Facility as one of the military specialists assigned to eliminate Gordon Freeman. Experience an entirely new episode of single player action. Meet fierce alien opponents, and experiment with new weaponry. Named 'Game of the Year' by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Half-Life: Opposing Force at a glance Released 1999 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 95% positive of 28,900 Price $4.99 ClassicSci-fiShooterGreat SoundtrackPuzzleRetro
- 20
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Why it matched: both science fiction and puzzle; shares 6 player tags including Sci-fi, Shooter and Classic; released around the same time (2001).
Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations.
Half-Life: Blue Shift at a glance Released 2001 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 93% positive of 21,191 Price $4.99 Sci-fiShooterClassicPuzzleRetroGreat Soundtrack
- 21
Papers, Please
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Indie, Puzzle and Retro.
Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.
Papers, Please at a glance Released 2013 Studio Lucas Pope Player sentiment 97% positive of 80,337 Price $9.99 IndiePuzzleRetro2DAddictiveGreat SoundtrackDifficult
- 22
Nuclear Throne
Why it matched: both difficult; shares 8 player tags including Indie, Difficult and Bullet Hell.
Nuclear Throne is a post-apocalyptic roguelike-like top-down shooter. Not 'the final hope of humanity' post-apocalyptic, but 'humanity is extinct and mutants and monsters now roam the world' post-apocalyptic. Can you reach the Nuclear Throne?
Nuclear Throne at a glance Released 2014 Studio Vlambeer Player sentiment 96% positive of 19,779 Price $11.99 IndieDifficultBullet HellGreat SoundtrackShooterLocal Co-Op2DLocal Multiplayer
- 23
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Indie, Local Co-Op and Puzzle.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a game about destruction, deception, and fatherhood. The player controls Octodad, a dapper octopus masquerading as a human, as he goes about his life. Octodad's existence is a constant struggle, as he must master mundane tasks with his unwieldy boneless tentacles while simultaneously keeping his cephalopodan...
Octodad: Dadliest Catch at a glance Released 2014 Studio Young Horses Player sentiment 94% positive of 10,706 Price $5.09 IndieLocal Co-OpPuzzleDifficultAddictiveGreat SoundtrackLocal Multiplayer
- 24
PICO PARK
Why it matched: both puzzle and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Local Co-Op, Local Multiplayer and 2D.
PICO PARK is a cooperative local/online multiplay action puzzle game for 2-8 players.
PICO PARK at a glance Released 2021 Studio TECOPARK Player sentiment 91% positive of 29,932 Price $4.99 Local Co-OpLocal Multiplayer2DPuzzleIndieDifficultRetro
Common questions
What game is most like Ikaruga?
Defy Gravity Extended, on the evidence we have. It both science fiction, puzzle and difficult. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.
How is "similar to Ikaruga" decided?
By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.
Are these ranked by quality?
No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Ikaruga. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.
Do you get paid for these recommendations?
No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.