Choose Element TD 2 - Tower Defense
Choose Element TD 2 - Tower Defense if you want an Indie game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.9% positive across 1,623 reviews.
Element TD 2 - Tower Defense vs Artisan TD
Element TD 2 - Tower Defense and Artisan TD both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Element TD 2 - Tower Defense (2021) is 3 years older than Artisan TD (2024). Element TD 2 - Tower Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.9% positive) than Artisan TD (72.3% positive). 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 Artisan TD
Choose Artisan TD if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Artisan TD launched in 2024.
Both Element TD 2 - Tower Defense and Artisan TD sit in Strategy 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
 Element TD 2 - Tower Defense |  Artisan TD | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.9% positive (1,623 reviews) | 72.3% positive (480 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Element Studios | 4rtisans |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Element TD 2 - Tower Defense (2021) is 3 years older than Artisan TD (2024).
- Element TD 2 - Tower Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.9% positive) than Artisan TD (72.3% positive).
- Element TD 2 - Tower Defense is currently ~12% cheaper on Steam than Artisan TD (14.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Element TD 2 - Tower Defense has co-op; Artisan TD does not.
- Steam Deck: Element TD 2 - Tower Defense is Deck Playable, Artisan TD is Deck Verified.
Element TD 2 - Tower Defense vs Artisan TD — FAQ
- Which is better, Element TD 2 - Tower Defense or Artisan TD?
- On Steam reviews Element TD 2 - Tower Defense scores higher (90.9% positive) than Artisan TD (72.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Element TD 2 - Tower Defense is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Element TD 2 - Tower Defense or Artisan TD first?
- If you want chronology, Element TD 2 - Tower Defense (2021) came out before Artisan TD (2024). 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 Element TD 2 - Tower Defense and Artisan TD similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.
- Does Artisan TD have multiplayer like Element TD 2 - Tower Defense?
- No. Element TD 2 - Tower Defense supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Artisan TD is listed as single-player only.