Choose Pillars of Eternity
Choose Pillars of Eternity if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 10,642 Steam reviews back the pick.
Pillars of Eternity vs Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire both land in 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 are RPG games on Steam. Pillars of Eternity (2015) is 3 years older than Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018). Both sit near 88% positive on Steam (Pillars of Eternity: 10,642 reviews, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire: 8,184). 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 Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Choose Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire if it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 8,184 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire sit in RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (87.2% vs 87.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Pillars of Eternity |  Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | RPG | RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.2% positive (10,642 reviews) | 87.8% positive (8,184 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Obsidian Entertainment | Obsidian Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Pillars of Eternity (2015) is 3 years older than Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018).
- Both sit near 88% positive on Steam (Pillars of Eternity: 10,642 reviews, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire: 8,184).
- Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Pillars of Eternity (39.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Pillars of Eternity vs Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire — FAQ
- Which is better, Pillars of Eternity or Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Pillars of Eternity sits at 87.2% positive (10,642 reviews), Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire at 87.8% (8,184). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Pillars of Eternity or Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire first?
- If you want chronology, Pillars of Eternity (2015) came out before Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018). 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 Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire similar?
- They overlap on 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.