Rank 01Games like NBA 2K21
- 13 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked NBA 2K21 also play
The closest matches to NBA 2K21: NBA 2K20, NBA 2K22, NBA 2K23, NBA 2K25, and NBA 2K26. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
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The full ranked list: top 24 games like NBA 2K21
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- Released: 2020
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Steam Deck: Deck Verified
- 54% of 7,840 reviews
- Genres: Sports, Simulation
- Platforms: Windows
Players highlight
- Feels most immersive in its era
- Mods and sliders make it customizable
- Myteam mode is the best in the series
- Competitive
- Immersive
- Nostalgic
More games like NBA 2K21, sliced differently
About NBA 2K21
The closest matches to NBA 2K21: NBA 2K20, NBA 2K22, NBA 2K23, NBA 2K25, and NBA 2K26. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If NBA 2K21 is your kind of game, the closest matches are NBA 2K20, NBA 2K22 and NBA 2K23 — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as competitive, immersive and nostalgic, and single out its mod support and myteam card collection. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
NBA 2K21 is a basketball simulation released in 2020 by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. The game falls into the Sports and Simulation genres, offering players modes like MyTeam card collection and extensive slider adjustments for customizing gameplay. Players describe the experience as competitive, immersive, and nostalgic, with reviewers highlighting that it feels most immersive in its era. The title supports modding, allowing further customization beyond default settings. According to Steam reviews, the simulation provides a realistic basketball experience with character customization and team-based action. The game achieved a 54% positive rating from 7,840 Steam reviews. It runs verified on Steam Deck. However, all multiplayer servers were shut down on December 31, 2022, meaning online features no longer function.
About NBA 2K21: NOTE: All multiplayer servers for NBA 2K21 will be shutdown as of 12/31/2022. After that time, all game functions requiring online servers will no longer function.
Is NBA 2K21 worth buying?
Players are split
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 54% of 7,840 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- Steam Deck Verified.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Feels most immersive in its era
- Mods and sliders make it customizable
- Myteam mode is the best in the series
- Realistic basketball simulation
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“You know what's awesome? Paying full price for a game you can't fully play at will... Being completely reliant on 2K's servers to play your game. Once the servers are decommissioned, the game is unplayable to it's fullest. I've never left…”
“I'm not a everyday player, but game is useless once 2K Sports shut down the servers. You own a game that you can't play. I don't play online, and I don't need to buy the "new" NBA game every year, when the only thing that changes is the…”
Frequently asked about NBA 2K21
Can I run it?
Is NBA 2K21 verified for Steam Deck?
Yes — NBA 2K21 is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
Does NBA 2K21 have multiplayer or co-op?
Yes — NBA 2K21 supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player, Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP).
What games are most similar to NBA 2K21?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside NBA 2K21 are NBA 2K20, NBA 2K22, NBA 2K23.
Who developed NBA 2K21?
NBA 2K21 was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K.