Choose Darkest Dungeon®
Choose Darkest Dungeon® if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.8% positive across 55,844 reviews.
Darkest Dungeon® vs Darkest Dungeon® II
Darkest Dungeon® and Darkest Dungeon® II both land in Strategy, Indie, RPG 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 Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam. Darkest Dungeon® (2016) is 7 years older than Darkest Dungeon® II (2023). Darkest Dungeon® scores higher on Steam reviews (90.8% positive) than Darkest Dungeon® II (76.5% 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 Darkest Dungeon® II
Choose Darkest Dungeon® II if it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 11,460 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Darkest Dungeon® and Darkest Dungeon® II sit in Strategy, Indie, and RPG 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
 Darkest Dungeon® |  Darkest Dungeon® II | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.8% positive (55,844 reviews) | 76.5% positive (11,460 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Red Hook Studios | Red Hook Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Darkest Dungeon® (2016) is 7 years older than Darkest Dungeon® II (2023).
- Darkest Dungeon® scores higher on Steam reviews (90.8% positive) than Darkest Dungeon® II (76.5% positive).
- Darkest Dungeon® is currently ~38% cheaper on Steam than Darkest Dungeon® II (24.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Darkest Dungeon® vs Darkest Dungeon® II — FAQ
- Which is better, Darkest Dungeon® or Darkest Dungeon® II?
- On Steam reviews Darkest Dungeon® scores higher (90.8% positive) than Darkest Dungeon® II (76.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Darkest Dungeon® is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Darkest Dungeon® or Darkest Dungeon® II first?
- If you want chronology, Darkest Dungeon® (2016) came out before Darkest Dungeon® II (2023). 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 Darkest Dungeon® and Darkest Dungeon® II similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, RPG 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 Darkest Dungeon® and Darkest Dungeon® II 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.