Choose Village of Zombies
Choose Village of Zombies if you want an Adventure and Free To Play game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Village of Zombies launched in 2022.
Village of Zombies vs Variant 22
Village of Zombies and Variant 22 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. Village of Zombies (2022) is 1 year older than Variant 22 (2023). Village of Zombies is free; Variant 22 is paid (13.99 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 Variant 22
Choose Variant 22 if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Variant 22 launched in 2023.
Both Village of Zombies and Variant 22 sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and 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
 Village of Zombies |  Variant 22 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.7% positive (28 reviews) | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Marco Games | ST Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Village of Zombies (2022) is 1 year older than Variant 22 (2023).
- Village of Zombies is free; Variant 22 is paid (13.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Village of Zombies vs Variant 22 — FAQ
- Should I play Village of Zombies or Variant 22 first?
- If you want chronology, Village of Zombies (2022) came out before Variant 22 (2023). 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 Village of Zombies and Variant 22 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.
- Do both Village of Zombies and Variant 22 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Village of Zombies ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Variant 22 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Village of Zombies free?
- Yes — Village of Zombies is a free-to-play Steam title. Variant 22 is paid (13.99 USD).