Choose Shadowgrounds
Choose Shadowgrounds if you want the Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. Shadowgrounds launched in 2006.
Shadowgrounds vs The Hateful Dead
Shadowgrounds and The Hateful Dead 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. Shadowgrounds (2006) is 10 years older than The Hateful Dead (2016). The Hateful Dead scores higher on Steam reviews (88.2% positive) than Shadowgrounds (81.3% 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 The Hateful Dead
Choose The Hateful Dead if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 57% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Hateful Dead launched in 2016.
Both Shadowgrounds and The Hateful Dead sit in Action 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
 Shadowgrounds |  The Hateful Dead | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 6.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.3% positive (557 reviews) | 88.2% positive (17 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frozenbyte | Sayan |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Shadowgrounds (2006) is 10 years older than The Hateful Dead (2016).
- The Hateful Dead scores higher on Steam reviews (88.2% positive) than Shadowgrounds (81.3% positive).
- The Hateful Dead is currently ~57% cheaper on Steam than Shadowgrounds (2.99 USD vs. 6.99 USD).
- Shadowgrounds is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; The Hateful Dead has no Deck rating yet.
Shadowgrounds vs The Hateful Dead — FAQ
- Should I play Shadowgrounds or The Hateful Dead first?
- If you want chronology, Shadowgrounds (2006) came out before The Hateful Dead (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 Shadowgrounds and The Hateful Dead 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.
- Does The Hateful Dead have multiplayer like Shadowgrounds?
- No. Shadowgrounds supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while The Hateful Dead is listed as single-player only.