Choose Tomb Raider I (1996)
Choose Tomb Raider I (1996) if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 1,842 Steam reviews back the pick.
Tomb Raider I (1996) vs Tomb Raider III (1998)
Tomb Raider I (1996) and Tomb Raider III (1998) both land in Action, Adventure 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 on Steam. Both released in 2012. Tomb Raider III (1998) scores higher on Steam reviews (85% positive) than Tomb Raider I (1996) (83.8% 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 Tomb Raider III (1998)
Choose Tomb Raider III (1998) if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Tomb Raider III (1998) launched in 2012.
Both Tomb Raider I (1996) and Tomb Raider III (1998) sit in Action and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (83.8% vs 85% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Tomb Raider I (1996) |  Tomb Raider III (1998) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.8% positive (1,842 reviews) | 85% positive (572 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Core Design | Core Design |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Both released in 2012.
- Tomb Raider III (1998) scores higher on Steam reviews (85% positive) than Tomb Raider I (1996) (83.8% positive).
- Tomb Raider III (1998) is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Tomb Raider I (1996) (6.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Tomb Raider I (1996) vs Tomb Raider III (1998) — FAQ
- Which is better, Tomb Raider I (1996) or Tomb Raider III (1998)?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Tomb Raider I (1996) sits at 83.8% positive (1,842 reviews), Tomb Raider III (1998) at 85% (572). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Are Tomb Raider I (1996) and Tomb Raider III (1998) similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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.