Choose DayZ
Choose DayZ if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 74.2% positive across 175,514 reviews.
DayZ vs Afterinfection
DayZ and Afterinfection both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. DayZ (2018) is 7 years older than Afterinfection (2025). DayZ scores higher on Steam reviews (74.2% positive) than Afterinfection (57.5% 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 Afterinfection
Choose Afterinfection if you want a Strategy, Indie, and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 82% cheaper on the Steam Store. Afterinfection launched in 2025.
Both DayZ and Afterinfection sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 DayZ |  Afterinfection | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 49.99 USD | 8.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.2% positive (175,514 reviews) | 57.5% positive (261 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Bohemia Interactive | RePatrick21 |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- DayZ (2018) is 7 years older than Afterinfection (2025).
- DayZ scores higher on Steam reviews (74.2% positive) than Afterinfection (57.5% positive).
- Afterinfection is currently ~82% cheaper on Steam than DayZ (8.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- DayZ is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Afterinfection has no Deck rating yet.
DayZ vs Afterinfection — FAQ
- Which is better, DayZ or Afterinfection?
- On Steam reviews DayZ scores higher (74.2% positive) than Afterinfection (57.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, DayZ is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play DayZ or Afterinfection first?
- If you want chronology, DayZ (2018) came out before Afterinfection (2025). 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 DayZ and Afterinfection similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer 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 DayZ and Afterinfection have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: DayZ ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Afterinfection ships Online Co-op, Co-op.