Choose Darkest Dungeon®
Choose Darkest Dungeon® if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 55,844 Steam reviews back the pick.
Darkest Dungeon® vs Dungeon Mercenaries
Darkest Dungeon® and Dungeon Mercenaries 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 8 years older than Dungeon Mercenaries (2024). Dungeon Mercenaries is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Darkest Dungeon® (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD). 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 Dungeon Mercenaries
Choose Dungeon Mercenaries if you want an Action, Adventure, and Simulation game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. Dungeon Mercenaries launched in 2024.
Both Darkest Dungeon® and Dungeon Mercenaries 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® |  Dungeon Mercenaries | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.8% positive (55,844 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Red Hook Studios | Redboy Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Darkest Dungeon® (2016) is 8 years older than Dungeon Mercenaries (2024).
- Dungeon Mercenaries is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Darkest Dungeon® (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Darkest Dungeon® is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Dungeon Mercenaries has no Deck rating yet.
Darkest Dungeon® vs Dungeon Mercenaries — FAQ
- Should I play Darkest Dungeon® or Dungeon Mercenaries first?
- If you want chronology, Darkest Dungeon® (2016) came out before Dungeon Mercenaries (2024). 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 Dungeon Mercenaries 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.
- Does Darkest Dungeon® run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Darkest Dungeon® is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Dungeon Mercenaries doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.