Choose Hades
Choose Hades if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 139,938 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hades vs Portal Defect
Hades and Portal Defect both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Hades (2020) is 1 year older than Portal Defect (2021). Portal Defect is free; Hades is paid (24.99 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 Portal Defect
Choose Portal Defect if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Portal Defect launched in 2021.
Both Hades and Portal Defect sit in Action and Indie 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
 Hades |  Portal Defect | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG | Action, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 98.4% positive (139,938 reviews) | 8 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Supergiant Games | Gin Motion |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Hades (2020) is 1 year older than Portal Defect (2021).
- Portal Defect is free; Hades is paid (24.99 USD).
- Hades is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Portal Defect has no Deck rating yet.
Hades vs Portal Defect — FAQ
- Should I play Hades or Portal Defect first?
- If you want chronology, Hades (2020) came out before Portal Defect (2021). 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 Hades and Portal Defect similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Portal Defect free?
- Yes — Portal Defect is a free-to-play Steam title. Hades is paid (24.99 USD).
- Does Hades run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hades is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Portal Defect doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.