Choose The Red Solstice
Choose The Red Solstice if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. The Red Solstice launched in 2015.
The Red Solstice vs Data Defense
The Red Solstice and Data Defense both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. The Red Solstice (2015) is 4 years older than Data Defense (2019). Data Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.5% positive) than The Red Solstice (71.6% 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 Data Defense
Choose Data Defense if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Data Defense launched in 2019.
Both The Red Solstice and Data Defense sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 The Red Solstice |  Data Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.6% positive (581 reviews) | 90.5% positive (21 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Ironward | 2Blocks |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- The Red Solstice (2015) is 4 years older than Data Defense (2019).
- Data Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.5% positive) than The Red Solstice (71.6% positive).
- Data Defense is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than The Red Solstice (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- The Red Solstice has co-op; Data Defense does not.
- The Red Solstice is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Data Defense has no Deck rating yet.
The Red Solstice vs Data Defense — FAQ
- Should I play The Red Solstice or Data Defense first?
- If you want chronology, The Red Solstice (2015) came out before Data Defense (2019). 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 The Red Solstice and Data Defense similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 Data Defense have multiplayer like The Red Solstice?
- No. The Red Solstice supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Data Defense is listed as single-player only.
- Does The Red Solstice run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Red Solstice is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Data Defense doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.