Choose Desperation
Choose Desperation if you want an Action, Indie, and Massively Multiplayer game with MMO. Desperation launched in 2021.
Desperation vs TheDark
Desperation and TheDark both land in Early Access 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 Early Access games on Steam. Desperation (2021) is 1 year older than TheDark (2022). TheDark is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Desperation (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 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 TheDark
Choose TheDark if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. TheDark launched in 2022.
Both Desperation and TheDark sit in Early Access 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
 Desperation |  TheDark | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access | Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 2 reviews | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | EXBOTS | WR3Games |
Side by side
- Both are Early Access games on Steam.
- Desperation (2021) is 1 year older than TheDark (2022).
- TheDark is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Desperation (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Desperation vs TheDark — FAQ
- Should I play Desperation or TheDark first?
- If you want chronology, Desperation (2021) came out before TheDark (2022). 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 Desperation and TheDark similar?
- They overlap on Early Access 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 Desperation and TheDark have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Desperation ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; TheDark ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.