Choose Defiance
Choose Defiance if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Free To Play game with Multi-player, MMO, and Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,629 Steam reviews back the pick.
Defiance vs CHEMISTS: Area of infection
Defiance and CHEMISTS: Area of infection both land in Action, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Defiance (2014) is 8 years older than CHEMISTS: Area of infection (2022). Defiance has co-op; CHEMISTS: Area of infection does not. 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 CHEMISTS: Area of infection
Choose CHEMISTS: Area of infection if you want an Indie, Adventure, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. CHEMISTS: Area of infection launched in 2022.
Both Defiance and CHEMISTS: Area of infection sit in Action and RPG on Steam, 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
 Defiance |  CHEMISTS: Area of infection | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.9% positive (1,629 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Trion Worlds | RPAX, GPC |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- Defiance (2014) is 8 years older than CHEMISTS: Area of infection (2022).
- Defiance has co-op; CHEMISTS: Area of infection does not.
Defiance vs CHEMISTS: Area of infection — FAQ
- Should I play Defiance or CHEMISTS: Area of infection first?
- If you want chronology, Defiance (2014) came out before CHEMISTS: Area of infection (2022). 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 Defiance and CHEMISTS: Area of infection similar?
- They overlap on Action, RPG 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.
- Does CHEMISTS: Area of infection have multiplayer like Defiance?
- No. Defiance supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while CHEMISTS: Area of infection is listed as single-player only.