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SHENZHEN I/OVSThe Signal State

Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.

SHENZHEN I/O

SHENZHEN I/O

Quality
76Popularity
29Value
73
SteamBetter Deal· Steam
Ends in≈47d
-50% $7.49
Buy Now
VS
The Signal State

The Signal State

Quality
69Popularity
23Value
72
SteamBetter Deal· Steam
Historical Low!
Ends in≈10d
-65% $6.99
Buy Now

Winner

SHENZHEN I/O wins the comparison based on the metrics. Takes 8 of 13 head-to-head metrics.

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

8
SHENZHEN I/O
8 of 13 metrics
The Signal State
5 of 13 metrics
5

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$5.53 Wins
$6.99 -
Historical Low Price (USD)
$5.09 Wins
$6.99 -
Best Current Discount
-63% -
-65% Wins
Sales Frequency
63 price changes Wins
59 price changes -
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Steam Review Score
95.4% positive Wins
86.8% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
3.7K Wins
627 -
Positive Steam Reviews
3.5K Wins
544 -
Negative Steam Reviews
171 -
83 Wins
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
36 Wins
4 -
Steam Recommendations
3.7K Wins
626 -
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
6 -
15 Wins
Supported Languages
2 languages -
9 languages Wins
Release Date
Nov 2016 -
Sep 2021 Wins
GameValio Recommendation
MaybeSHENZHEN I/O

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

MaybeThe Signal State

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
SHENZHEN I/O
The Signal State

Player Count Trends

— Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

— Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

SHENZHEN I/O

SHENZHEN I/O

1 Store
Steam
Steam -50% $7.49Buy Now
The Signal State

The Signal State

3 Stores
Steam
Steam -65% $6.99Buy Now
Kinguin
Kinguin +124% $15.69View
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming +186% $19.99View

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

SHENZHEN I/O

Quality

Most players came away satisfied — more positives than negatives.

95% positive (3,686 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
3,686 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Price is reasonable for what the game offers.

$5.53 — very accessible price
63% off — solid discount
Historical low: $4.01 — room for better deals

Popularity

Declining player base — could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.

Player count surging +62%
34 concurrent players — niche audience

The Signal State

Quality

Splits opinions — likely to click if you're already a genre fan.

87% positive (627 reviews) — very positive reception
627 reviews — decent but potentially skewed

Value

Acceptable value right now — fair price for the content.

$6.99 — very accessible price
65% off — solid discount
All-time low price — rare opportunity

Popularity

Lost much of its active player base — community is quiet.

Player count surging +167%
8 concurrent players — niche audience

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsSHENZHEN I/OThe Signal State
Release Date
November 17, 2016
September 23, 2021
Developers
Zachtronics
Reckoner Industries
Publishers
Zachtronics
indienova, iterco
Platforms
Linux, Windows, MacOs
Windows, MacOs
Achievements
6
15

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

SHENZHEN I/O

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
  • Processor: 2.0 GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 1920 x 1080
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 450 MB available space

The Signal State

No PC requirements data available

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: SHENZHEN I/O or The Signal State?

SHENZHEN I/O won the comparison against The Signal State based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is SHENZHEN I/O worth buying over The Signal State?

Based on the metrics, SHENZHEN I/O won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. SHENZHEN I/O currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 3, 2026, 10:04 PM UTC

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Disclaimer

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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