Choose Kenshi
Choose Kenshi if you want a Strategy and RPG experience. 46,830 Steam reviews back the pick.
Kenshi vs Hard Times
Kenshi and Hard Times both land in Action, Indie, Simulation 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, Simulation on Steam. Kenshi (2018) is 2 years older than Hard Times (2020). Kenshi scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Hard Times (86.2% 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 Hard Times
Choose Hard Times if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Hard Times launched in 2020.
Both Kenshi and Hard Times sit in Action, Indie, and Simulation 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
 Kenshi |  Hard Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.1% positive (46,830 reviews) | 86.2% positive (58 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Lo-Fi Games | Radical Fiction |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Kenshi (2018) is 2 years older than Hard Times (2020).
- Kenshi scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Hard Times (86.2% positive).
- Hard Times is free; Kenshi is paid (29.99 USD).
- Kenshi is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Hard Times has no Deck rating yet.
Kenshi vs Hard Times — FAQ
- Should I play Kenshi or Hard Times first?
- If you want chronology, Kenshi (2018) came out before Hard Times (2020). 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 Kenshi and Hard Times similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Simulation 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.
- Is Hard Times free?
- Yes — Hard Times is a free-to-play Steam title. Kenshi is paid (29.99 USD).
- Does Kenshi run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Kenshi is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Hard Times doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.