Choose PAYDAY™ The Heist
Choose PAYDAY™ The Heist if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.6% positive across 8,625 reviews.
PAYDAY™ The Heist vs PAYDAY 2
PAYDAY™ The Heist and PAYDAY 2 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. PAYDAY™ The Heist (2011) is 2 years older than PAYDAY 2 (2013). PAYDAY™ The Heist scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than PAYDAY 2 (87.3% 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 PAYDAY 2
Choose PAYDAY 2 if you want a RPG game with Tracked Controller Support, VR Supported, and Camera Comfort. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 174,145 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both PAYDAY™ The Heist and PAYDAY 2 sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Custom Volume Controls, 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
 PAYDAY™ The Heist |  PAYDAY 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2013 |
| Genres | Action | Action, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.6% positive (8,625 reviews) | 87.3% positive (174,145 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | OVERKILL - a Starbreeze Studio. | OVERKILL - a Starbreeze Studio. |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- PAYDAY™ The Heist (2011) is 2 years older than PAYDAY 2 (2013).
- PAYDAY™ The Heist scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than PAYDAY 2 (87.3% positive).
- PAYDAY 2 is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than PAYDAY™ The Heist (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: PAYDAY™ The Heist is Deck Playable, PAYDAY 2 is Deck Verified.
PAYDAY™ The Heist vs PAYDAY 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, PAYDAY™ The Heist or PAYDAY 2?
- On Steam reviews PAYDAY™ The Heist scores higher (92.6% positive) than PAYDAY 2 (87.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, PAYDAY™ The Heist is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play PAYDAY™ The Heist or PAYDAY 2 first?
- If you want chronology, PAYDAY™ The Heist (2011) came out before PAYDAY 2 (2013). 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 PAYDAY™ The Heist and PAYDAY 2 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 PAYDAY™ The Heist and PAYDAY 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: PAYDAY™ The Heist ships Online Co-op, Co-op; PAYDAY 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.