War Thunder vs Valheim
War Thunder and Valheim both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. War Thunder (2013) is 8 years older than Valheim (2021). Valheim scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% 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.
Side-by-side comparison
 War Thunder |  Valheim | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | 94.7% positive (254,749 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | Iron Gate AB |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 8 years older than Valheim (2021).
- Valheim scores higher on Steam reviews (94.7% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive).
- War Thunder is free; Valheim is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Verified.
War Thunder vs Valheim — FAQ
- Which is better, War Thunder or Valheim?
- On Steam reviews Valheim scores higher (94.7% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Valheim 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 Valheim first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before Valheim (2021). 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 Valheim similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Valheim have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: War Thunder ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Valheim ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. Valheim is paid (19.99 USD).
- Do War Thunder and Valheim both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.