Choose Arma 3
Choose Arma 3 if you want a Simulation game with Steam Leaderboards, LAN PvP, and LAN Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.6% positive across 110,281 reviews.
Arma 3 vs Squad
Arma 3 and Squad both land in Action, 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 share Action, Strategy on Steam. Arma 3 (2013) is 7 years older than Squad (2020). Arma 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Squad (84.1% 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 Squad
Choose Squad if you want an Indie and Massively Multiplayer game with Valve Anti-Cheat enabled. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 82,330 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Arma 3 and Squad sit in Action and Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Arma 3 |  Squad | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (110,281 reviews) | 84.1% positive (82,330 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Bohemia Interactive | Offworld |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy on Steam.
- Arma 3 (2013) is 7 years older than Squad (2020).
- Arma 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Squad (84.1% positive).
- Arma 3 is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Squad (29.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Arma 3 vs Squad — FAQ
- Which is better, Arma 3 or Squad?
- On Steam reviews Arma 3 scores higher (91.6% positive) than Squad (84.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Arma 3 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Arma 3 or Squad first?
- If you want chronology, Arma 3 (2013) came out before Squad (2020). 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 Arma 3 and Squad similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.
- Do both Arma 3 and Squad have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Arma 3 ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Squad ships Online Co-op, Co-op.