Choose Black Ice
Choose Black Ice if you want a RPG experience. Black Ice launched in 2014.
Black Ice vs Desperation
Black Ice and Desperation both land in Action, Indie, Early Access 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, Indie, Early Access on Steam. Black Ice (2014) is 7 years older than Desperation (2021). Desperation is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Black Ice (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Desperation
Choose Desperation if you want a Massively Multiplayer game with MMO. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. Desperation launched in 2021.
Both Black Ice and Desperation sit in Action, Indie, and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Black Ice |  Desperation | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, RPG, Early Access | Action, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.6% positive (466 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Nonadecimal Creative, Super Duper Garrett Cooper | EXBOTS |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Early Access on Steam.
- Black Ice (2014) is 7 years older than Desperation (2021).
- Desperation is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Black Ice (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
Black Ice vs Desperation — FAQ
- Should I play Black Ice or Desperation first?
- If you want chronology, Black Ice (2014) came out before Desperation (2021). 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 Black Ice and Desperation similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Early Access 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.
- Do both Black Ice and Desperation have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Black Ice ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Desperation ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.