Choose Blackguards 2
Choose Blackguards 2 if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 29% cheaper on the Steam Store. Blackguards 2 launched in 2015.
Blackguards 2 vs The Protagonist: EX-1
Blackguards 2 and The Protagonist: EX-1 both land in Strategy, Indie, 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, Indie, RPG on Steam. Blackguards 2 (2015) is 6 years older than The Protagonist: EX-1 (2021). Blackguards 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (63.2% positive) than The Protagonist: EX-1 (38.5% 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 The Protagonist: EX-1
Choose The Protagonist: EX-1 if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Protagonist: EX-1 launched in 2021.
Both Blackguards 2 and The Protagonist: EX-1 sit in Strategy, Indie, 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
 Blackguards 2 |  The Protagonist: EX-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 63.2% positive (348 reviews) | 38.5% positive (13 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Daedalic Entertainment | 3Mind Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Blackguards 2 (2015) is 6 years older than The Protagonist: EX-1 (2021).
- Blackguards 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (63.2% positive) than The Protagonist: EX-1 (38.5% positive).
- Blackguards 2 is currently ~29% cheaper on Steam than The Protagonist: EX-1 (9.99 USD vs. 13.99 USD).
- Blackguards 2 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Protagonist: EX-1 has no Deck rating yet.
Blackguards 2 vs The Protagonist: EX-1 — FAQ
- Should I play Blackguards 2 or The Protagonist: EX-1 first?
- If you want chronology, Blackguards 2 (2015) came out before The Protagonist: EX-1 (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 Blackguards 2 and The Protagonist: EX-1 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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.
- Does Blackguards 2 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Blackguards 2 is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The Protagonist: EX-1 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.