Choose Life is Strange - Episode 1
Choose Life is Strange - Episode 1 if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.4% positive across 75,553 reviews.
Life is Strange - Episode 1 vs Life is Strange 2
Life is Strange - Episode 1 and Life is Strange 2 both land in 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 are Adventure games on Steam. Life is Strange - Episode 1 (2015) is 3 years older than Life is Strange 2 (2018). Life is Strange - Episode 1 scores higher on Steam reviews (95.4% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% 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 Life is Strange 2
Choose Life is Strange 2 if you want the Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 16,461 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Life is Strange - Episode 1 and Life is Strange 2 sit in Adventure on Steam and both list Subtitle Options, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound, 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
 Life is Strange - Episode 1 |  Life is Strange 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 95.4% positive (75,553 reviews) | 85.4% positive (16,461 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | DONTNOD Entertainment, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) | DONTNOD Entertainment, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Life is Strange - Episode 1 (2015) is 3 years older than Life is Strange 2 (2018).
- Life is Strange - Episode 1 scores higher on Steam reviews (95.4% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Steam Deck: Life is Strange - Episode 1 is Deck Playable, Life is Strange 2 is Deck Verified.
Life is Strange - Episode 1 vs Life is Strange 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Life is Strange - Episode 1 or Life is Strange 2?
- On Steam reviews Life is Strange - Episode 1 scores higher (95.4% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Life is Strange - Episode 1 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Life is Strange - Episode 1 or Life is Strange 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Life is Strange - Episode 1 (2015) came out before Life is Strange 2 (2018). 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 Life is Strange - Episode 1 and Life is Strange 2 similar?
- They overlap on 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.