IMHO.

War Thunder vs IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

War Thunder and IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad both land in Action, 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, Simulation on Steam. War Thunder (2013) is 1 year older than IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad (2014). IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad scores higher on Steam reviews (79.2% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% 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 War Thunder

Choose War Thunder if you want a Massively Multiplayer and Free To Play game with MMO, Adjustable Text Size, and Color Alternatives. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 308,911 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

Choose IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad if you want the Adjustable Difficulty side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 79.2% positive across 5,292 reviews.

Both War Thunder and IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad sit in Action and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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

War Thunder vs IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad — Steam metadata comparison
War Thunder — Steam game coverWar ThunderIL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad — Steam game coverIL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
Released20132014
GenresAction, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To PlayAction, Simulation
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Unsupported
PriceFree to play9.49 USD
Steam reviews74.1% positive (308,911 reviews)79.2% positive (5,292 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-opMulti-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
DevelopersGaijin Entertainment1C Game Studios

Side by side

War Thunder vs IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad — FAQ

Which is better, War Thunder or IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad?
On Steam reviews IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad scores higher (79.2% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play War Thunder or IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad first?
If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad (2014). 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 War Thunder and IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad similar?
They overlap on Action, 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.
Do both War Thunder and IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad have co-op?
Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: War Thunder ships Online Co-op, Co-op; IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
Is War Thunder free?
Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad is paid (9.49 USD).
War Thunder vs IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad · imho.run