Choose Hard West
Choose Hard West if you want an Indie and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 2,209 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hard West vs Hard West 2
Hard West and Hard West 2 both land in Strategy, 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, RPG on Steam. Hard West (2015) is 7 years older than Hard West 2 (2022). Hard West 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.7% positive) than Hard West (73.7% 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 Hard West 2
Choose Hard West 2 if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 81.7% positive across 1,307 reviews.
Both Hard West and Hard West 2 sit in Strategy 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
 Hard West |  Hard West 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Strategy, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.7% positive (2,209 reviews) | 81.7% positive (1,307 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | CreativeForge Games | Ice Code Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam.
- Hard West (2015) is 7 years older than Hard West 2 (2022).
- Hard West 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.7% positive) than Hard West (73.7% positive).
- Hard West is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Hard West 2 (19.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Hard West is Deck Playable, Hard West 2 is Deck Unsupported.
Hard West vs Hard West 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Hard West or Hard West 2?
- On Steam reviews Hard West 2 scores higher (81.7% positive) than Hard West (73.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Hard West 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Hard West or Hard West 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Hard West (2015) came out before Hard West 2 (2022). 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 Hard West and Hard West 2 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.