Choose DayZ
Choose DayZ if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. 175,514 Steam reviews back the pick.
DayZ vs SCUM
DayZ and SCUM 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 SCUM (2025). Both sit near 74% positive on Steam (DayZ: 175,514 reviews, SCUM: 37,396). 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 SCUM
Choose SCUM if you want an Indie game with Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 37,396 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both DayZ and SCUM 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. Steam reviews are nearly tied (74.2% vs 74.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 DayZ |  SCUM | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 49.99 USD | 44.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.2% positive (175,514 reviews) | 74.1% positive (37,396 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Bohemia Interactive | Gamepires |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- DayZ (2018) is 7 years older than SCUM (2025).
- Both sit near 74% positive on Steam (DayZ: 175,514 reviews, SCUM: 37,396).
- SCUM is currently ~10% cheaper on Steam than DayZ (44.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
DayZ vs SCUM — FAQ
- Which is better, DayZ or SCUM?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: DayZ sits at 74.2% positive (175,514 reviews), SCUM at 74.1% (37,396). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play DayZ or SCUM first?
- If you want chronology, DayZ (2018) came out before SCUM (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 SCUM 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 SCUM have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: DayZ ships Online Co-op, Co-op; SCUM ships Online Co-op, Co-op.