Choose Sanctum 2
Choose Sanctum 2 if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 4,330 Steam reviews back the pick.
Sanctum 2 vs The Rift Tower Defense
Sanctum 2 and The Rift Tower Defense both land in Action, 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 Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Sanctum 2 (2013) is 14 years older than The Rift Tower Defense (2027). Sanctum 2 has co-op; The Rift Tower Defense does not. 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 The Rift Tower Defense
Choose The Rift Tower Defense if you want an Adventure and RPG experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Rift Tower Defense launched in 2027.
Both Sanctum 2 and The Rift Tower Defense sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Sanctum 2 |  The Rift Tower Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2027 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 92.3% positive (4,330 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Coffee Stain Studios | Seam Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Sanctum 2 (2013) is 14 years older than The Rift Tower Defense (2027).
- Sanctum 2 has co-op; The Rift Tower Defense does not.
- Sanctum 2 is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Rift Tower Defense has no Deck rating yet.
Sanctum 2 vs The Rift Tower Defense — FAQ
- Should I play Sanctum 2 or The Rift Tower Defense first?
- If you want chronology, Sanctum 2 (2013) came out before The Rift Tower Defense (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 Sanctum 2 and The Rift Tower Defense similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 The Rift Tower Defense have multiplayer like Sanctum 2?
- No. Sanctum 2 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while The Rift Tower Defense is listed as single-player only.
- Does Sanctum 2 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Sanctum 2 is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Rift Tower Defense doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.