Choose Don't Starve Together
Choose Don't Starve Together if you want a Strategy and Simulation game with Online PvP, LAN PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 80,691 Steam reviews back the pick.
Don't Starve Together vs Barbarian
Don't Starve Together and Barbarian both land in Action, Indie, 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 share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Don't Starve Together (2016) is 10 years older than Barbarian (2026). Barbarian is currently ~15% cheaper on Steam than Don't Starve Together (12.74 USD vs. 14.99 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 Barbarian
Choose Barbarian if you want an Early Access game with Surround Sound. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Barbarian launched in 2026.
Both Don't Starve Together and Barbarian sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and LAN 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
 Don't Starve Together |  Barbarian | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 12.74 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (80,691 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Klei Entertainment | CraftingBenchGames |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Don't Starve Together (2016) is 10 years older than Barbarian (2026).
- Barbarian is currently ~15% cheaper on Steam than Don't Starve Together (12.74 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Don't Starve Together is Deck Verified, Barbarian is Deck Playable.
Don't Starve Together vs Barbarian — FAQ
- Should I play Don't Starve Together or Barbarian first?
- If you want chronology, Don't Starve Together (2016) came out before Barbarian (2026). 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 Don't Starve Together and Barbarian similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.
- Do both Don't Starve Together and Barbarian have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Don't Starve Together ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Barbarian ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.