ARK: Survival Evolved vs Red Dead Redemption 2
ARK: Survival Evolved and Red Dead Redemption 2 both land in Action, 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, Adventure on Steam. ARK: Survival Evolved (2017) is 2 years older than Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019). Red Dead Redemption 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.9% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 ARK: Survival Evolved |  Red Dead Redemption 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.8% positive (253,840 reviews) | 91.9% positive (295,872 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, Virtual Basement LLC | Rockstar Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- ARK: Survival Evolved (2017) is 2 years older than Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019).
- Red Dead Redemption 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.9% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive).
- ARK: Survival Evolved is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Red Dead Redemption 2 (14.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: ARK: Survival Evolved is Deck Verified, Red Dead Redemption 2 is Deck Playable.
ARK: Survival Evolved vs Red Dead Redemption 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, ARK: Survival Evolved or Red Dead Redemption 2?
- On Steam reviews Red Dead Redemption 2 scores higher (91.9% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play ARK: Survival Evolved or Red Dead Redemption 2 first?
- If you want chronology, ARK: Survival Evolved (2017) came out before Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019). 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 ARK: Survival Evolved and Red Dead Redemption 2 similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 ARK: Survival Evolved and Red Dead Redemption 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: ARK: Survival Evolved ships Co-op; Red Dead Redemption 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.