Choose The Nightmare Cooperative
Choose The Nightmare Cooperative if it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Nightmare Cooperative launched in 2014.
The Nightmare Cooperative vs Slay the Spire
The Nightmare Cooperative and Slay the Spire both land in Strategy, Indie 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 on Steam. The Nightmare Cooperative (2014) is 5 years older than Slay the Spire (2019). Slay the Spire scores higher on Steam reviews (97.5% positive) than The Nightmare Cooperative (70.6% 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 Slay the Spire
Choose Slay the Spire if you want the Adjustable Text Size, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 75,305 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Nightmare Cooperative and Slay the Spire sit in Strategy and Indie 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 Nightmare Cooperative |  Slay the Spire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 6.24 USD |
| Steam reviews | 70.6% positive (17 reviews) | 97.5% positive (75,305 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Lucky Frame | Mega Crit |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- The Nightmare Cooperative (2014) is 5 years older than Slay the Spire (2019).
- Slay the Spire scores higher on Steam reviews (97.5% positive) than The Nightmare Cooperative (70.6% positive).
- The Nightmare Cooperative is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Slay the Spire (4.99 USD vs. 6.24 USD).
- Slay the Spire is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Nightmare Cooperative has no Deck rating yet.
The Nightmare Cooperative vs Slay the Spire — FAQ
- Should I play The Nightmare Cooperative or Slay the Spire first?
- If you want chronology, The Nightmare Cooperative (2014) came out before Slay the Spire (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 Nightmare Cooperative and Slay the Spire similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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.