Choose Don't Starve Together
Choose Don't Starve Together if you want a Strategy, Simulation, and RPG game with Online PvP, LAN PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 49% cheaper on the Steam Store. 80,691 Steam reviews back the pick.
Don't Starve Together vs SMS Returns
Don't Starve Together and SMS Returns 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 SMS Returns (2026). Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than SMS Returns (85.7% 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 SMS Returns
Choose SMS Returns if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, and DualShock Controller Support side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. SMS Returns launched in 2026.
Both Don't Starve Together and SMS Returns 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 |  SMS Returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 5.09 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.6% positive (80,691 reviews) | 85.7% positive (98 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Klei Entertainment | Marc Steene |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Don't Starve Together (2016) is 10 years older than SMS Returns (2026).
- Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than SMS Returns (85.7% positive).
- Don't Starve Together is currently ~49% cheaper on Steam than SMS Returns (5.09 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Don't Starve Together is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; SMS Returns has no Deck rating yet.
Don't Starve Together vs SMS Returns — FAQ
- Should I play Don't Starve Together or SMS Returns first?
- If you want chronology, Don't Starve Together (2016) came out before SMS Returns (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 SMS Returns 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 SMS Returns 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; SMS Returns ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.
- Does Don't Starve Together run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Don't Starve Together is rated Deck Verified by Valve. SMS Returns doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.