Choose The Long Dark
Choose The Long Dark if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. 40,071 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Long Dark vs Don't Starve Together
The Long Dark and Don't Starve Together both land in Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Don't Starve Together (2016) is 1 year older than The Long Dark (2017). Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than The Long Dark (88% 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 Don't Starve Together
Choose Don't Starve Together if you want an Action and RPG game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.6% positive across 80,691 reviews.
Both The Long Dark and Don't Starve Together sit in Strategy, Indie, and Adventure 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
 The Long Dark |  Don't Starve Together | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88% positive (40,071 reviews) | 95.6% positive (80,691 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Hinterland Studio Inc. | Klei Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Don't Starve Together (2016) is 1 year older than The Long Dark (2017).
- Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than The Long Dark (88% positive).
- Don't Starve Together is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than The Long Dark (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Don't Starve Together has co-op; The Long Dark does not.
- Both are Deck Verified.
The Long Dark vs Don't Starve Together — FAQ
- Which is better, The Long Dark or Don't Starve Together?
- On Steam reviews Don't Starve Together scores higher (95.6% positive) than The Long Dark (88% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Don't Starve Together is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Long Dark or Don't Starve Together first?
- If you want chronology, Don't Starve Together (2016) came out before The Long Dark (2017). 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 Long Dark and Don't Starve Together similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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 The Long Dark have multiplayer like Don't Starve Together?
- No. Don't Starve Together supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while The Long Dark is listed as single-player only.
- Do The Long Dark and Don't Starve Together 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.