Choose POSTAL
Choose POSTAL if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 6,604 Steam reviews back the pick.
POSTAL vs POSTAL Redux
POSTAL and POSTAL Redux both land in Action, Indie 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, Indie on Steam. POSTAL (1997) is 19 years older than POSTAL Redux (2016). Both sit near 92% positive on Steam (POSTAL: 6,604 reviews, POSTAL Redux: 3,150). 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 POSTAL Redux
Choose POSTAL Redux if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 3,150 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both POSTAL and POSTAL Redux sit in Action and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (92% vs 92.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 POSTAL |  POSTAL Redux | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 1997 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 1.07 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92% positive (6,604 reviews) | 92.8% positive (3,150 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Running With Scissors | Running With Scissors |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- POSTAL (1997) is 19 years older than POSTAL Redux (2016).
- Both sit near 92% positive on Steam (POSTAL: 6,604 reviews, POSTAL Redux: 3,150).
- POSTAL is free; POSTAL Redux is paid (1.07 USD).
- POSTAL Redux has co-op; POSTAL does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
POSTAL vs POSTAL Redux — FAQ
- Which is better, POSTAL or POSTAL Redux?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: POSTAL sits at 92% positive (6,604 reviews), POSTAL Redux at 92.8% (3,150). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play POSTAL or POSTAL Redux first?
- If you want chronology, POSTAL (1997) came out before POSTAL Redux (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 POSTAL and POSTAL Redux similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 POSTAL have multiplayer like POSTAL Redux?
- No. POSTAL Redux supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while POSTAL is listed as single-player only.
- Is POSTAL free?
- Yes — POSTAL is a free-to-play Steam title. POSTAL Redux is paid (1.07 USD).