Should I play Crawl Tactics or Hirelings first?

If you want chronology, Crawl Tactics (2022) came out before Hirelings (2027). 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 Crawl Tactics and Hirelings similar?

They overlap on Strategy, 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.

Does Hirelings have multiplayer like Crawl Tactics?

No. Crawl Tactics supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Hirelings is listed as single-player only.

Does Crawl Tactics run on Steam Deck?

Yes — Crawl Tactics is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hirelings doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.

Crawl Tactics vs Hirelings

Crawl Tactics and Hirelings both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Crawl Tactics (2022) is 5 years older than Hirelings (2027). Crawl Tactics is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hirelings has no Deck rating yet. 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 Crawl Tactics

Choose Crawl Tactics if you want a RPG and Casual game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. Crawl Tactics launched in 2022.

Choose Hirelings

Choose Hirelings if it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hirelings launched in 2027.

Both Crawl Tactics and Hirelings sit in Strategy 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.

Crawl Tactics vs Hirelings — Steam metadata comparison
	Crawl Tactics	Hirelings
Released	2022	2027
Genres	Strategy, Indie, RPG, Casual	Strategy, Indie
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	19.99 USD	Price unknown
Steam reviews	91.3% positive (127 reviews)	—
Multiplayer	Multi-player	Single-player only
Developers	icefill	Work Hard Games

Side by side

Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
Crawl Tactics (2022) is 5 years older than Hirelings (2027).
Crawl Tactics is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hirelings has no Deck rating yet.