Choose Z
Choose Z if it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Z launched in 2014.
Z vs 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel
Z and 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel both land in Action, 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 share Action, Strategy on Steam. Z (2014) is 5 years older than 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel (2019). Z is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel (0.97 USD vs. 9.99 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 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel
Choose 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel launched in 2019.
Both Z and 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel sit in Action and 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
 Z |  3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy | Action, Strategy, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 0.97 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.9% positive (504 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | TickTock Games | J. C. SpringBourne |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy on Steam.
- Z (2014) is 5 years older than 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel (2019).
- Z is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel (0.97 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
Z vs 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel — FAQ
- Should I play Z or 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel first?
- If you want chronology, Z (2014) came out before 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel (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 Z and 3rd Invasion - Zombies vs. Steel similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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.