Choose DayZ
Choose DayZ if you want the Online Co-op, Valve Anti-Cheat enabled, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 175,514 Steam reviews back the pick.
DayZ vs Sunrise: survival
DayZ and Sunrise: survival 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. Sunrise: survival (2017) is 1 year older than DayZ (2018). DayZ scores higher on Steam reviews (74.2% positive) than Sunrise: survival (45.3% 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 Sunrise: survival
Choose Sunrise: survival if you want an Indie and RPG game with Includes Source SDK. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Sunrise: survival launched in 2017.
Both DayZ and Sunrise: survival 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 |  Sunrise: survival | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 49.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 74.2% positive (175,514 reviews) | 45.3% positive (53 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Bohemia Interactive | Fedorov Ilya & Andrew Konovalov |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Sunrise: survival (2017) is 1 year older than DayZ (2018).
- DayZ scores higher on Steam reviews (74.2% positive) than Sunrise: survival (45.3% positive).
- Sunrise: survival is free; DayZ is paid (49.99 USD).
- DayZ has co-op; Sunrise: survival does not.
- DayZ is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Sunrise: survival has no Deck rating yet.
DayZ vs Sunrise: survival — FAQ
- Should I play DayZ or Sunrise: survival first?
- If you want chronology, Sunrise: survival (2017) came out before DayZ (2018). 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 Sunrise: survival 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.
- Is Sunrise: survival free?
- Yes — Sunrise: survival is a free-to-play Steam title. DayZ is paid (49.99 USD).