Choose Tomb Raider I (1996)
Choose Tomb Raider I (1996) if it's currently about 91% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,842 Steam reviews back the pick.
Tomb Raider I (1996) vs Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Tomb Raider I (1996) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition 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. Tomb Raider I (1996) (2012) is 6 years older than Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (2018). Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (84.9% 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 Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Choose Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition if it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 23,350 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Tomb Raider I (1996) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition sit in Action and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (83.8% vs 84.9% 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) |  Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 3.49 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.8% positive (1,842 reviews) | 84.9% positive (23,350 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Core Design | Eidos-Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, Nixxes, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Tomb Raider I (1996) (2012) is 6 years older than Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (2018).
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (84.9% positive) than Tomb Raider I (1996) (83.8% positive).
- Tomb Raider I (1996) is currently ~91% cheaper on Steam than Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (3.49 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Tomb Raider I (1996) is Deck Unsupported, Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is Deck Playable.
Tomb Raider I (1996) vs Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Tomb Raider I (1996) or Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Tomb Raider I (1996) sits at 83.8% positive (1,842 reviews), Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition at 84.9% (23,350). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Tomb Raider I (1996) or Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Tomb Raider I (1996) (2012) came out before Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (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 Tomb Raider I (1996) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition 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.