Choose Xenonauts
Choose Xenonauts if you want an Indie and Simulation experience. 2,658 Steam reviews back the pick.
Xenonauts vs XCOM® 2
Xenonauts and XCOM® 2 both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Xenonauts (2014) is 2 years older than XCOM® 2 (2016). Both sit near 86% positive on Steam (Xenonauts: 2,658 reviews, XCOM® 2: 44,276). 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 XCOM® 2
Choose XCOM® 2 if it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. 44,276 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Xenonauts and XCOM® 2 sit in Strategy on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (86.3% vs 85.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Xenonauts |  XCOM® 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.3% positive (2,658 reviews) | 85.8% positive (44,276 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Goldhawk Interactive | Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Xenonauts (2014) is 2 years older than XCOM® 2 (2016).
- Both sit near 86% positive on Steam (Xenonauts: 2,658 reviews, XCOM® 2: 44,276).
- XCOM® 2 is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Xenonauts (19.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Xenonauts is Deck Unsupported, XCOM® 2 is Deck Playable.
Xenonauts vs XCOM® 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Xenonauts or XCOM® 2?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Xenonauts sits at 86.3% positive (2,658 reviews), XCOM® 2 at 85.8% (44,276). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Xenonauts or XCOM® 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Xenonauts (2014) came out before XCOM® 2 (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 Xenonauts and XCOM® 2 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.