Choose Grim Dawn
Choose Grim Dawn if you want the LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.1% positive across 39,041 reviews.
Grim Dawn vs Path of Exile
Grim Dawn and Path of Exile both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Path of Exile (2013) is 3 years older than Grim Dawn (2016). Grim Dawn scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Path of Exile (88.9% positive). 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 Path of Exile
Choose Path of Exile if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Free To Play game with MMO, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 141,366 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Grim Dawn and Path of Exile sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 Grim Dawn |  Path of Exile | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2013 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 24.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (39,041 reviews) | 88.9% positive (141,366 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Crate Entertainment | Grinding Gear Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Path of Exile (2013) is 3 years older than Grim Dawn (2016).
- Grim Dawn scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Path of Exile (88.9% positive).
- Path of Exile is free; Grim Dawn is paid (24.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Grim Dawn vs Path of Exile — FAQ
- Which is better, Grim Dawn or Path of Exile?
- On Steam reviews Grim Dawn scores higher (95.1% positive) than Path of Exile (88.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Grim Dawn is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Grim Dawn or Path of Exile first?
- If you want chronology, Path of Exile (2013) came out before Grim Dawn (2016). 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 Grim Dawn and Path of Exile similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 Grim Dawn and Path of Exile have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Grim Dawn ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Path of Exile ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Path of Exile free?
- Yes — Path of Exile is a free-to-play Steam title. Grim Dawn is paid (24.99 USD).