Choose Black Mesa
Choose Black Mesa if you want an Indie and Adventure game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.9% positive across 69,272 reviews.
Black Mesa vs Portal with RTX
Black Mesa and Portal with RTX both land in Action 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 Action games on Steam. Black Mesa (2020) is 2 years older than Portal with RTX (2022). Black Mesa scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Portal with RTX (60% 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 Portal with RTX
Choose Portal with RTX if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 10,660 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Black Mesa and Portal with RTX sit in Action on Steam and both list Includes Source SDK, 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
 Black Mesa |  Portal with RTX | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 11.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (69,272 reviews) | 60% positive (10,660 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Single-player only |
| Developers | Crowbar Collective | Lightspeed Studios™ |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Black Mesa (2020) is 2 years older than Portal with RTX (2022).
- Black Mesa scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Portal with RTX (60% positive).
- Portal with RTX is free; Black Mesa is paid (11.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Black Mesa is Deck Playable, Portal with RTX is Deck Unsupported.
Black Mesa vs Portal with RTX — FAQ
- Which is better, Black Mesa or Portal with RTX?
- On Steam reviews Black Mesa scores higher (94.9% positive) than Portal with RTX (60% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Black Mesa is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Black Mesa or Portal with RTX first?
- If you want chronology, Black Mesa (2020) came out before Portal with RTX (2022). 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 Black Mesa and Portal with RTX similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Portal with RTX have multiplayer like Black Mesa?
- No. Black Mesa supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while Portal with RTX is listed as single-player only.
- Is Portal with RTX free?
- Yes — Portal with RTX is a free-to-play Steam title. Black Mesa is paid (11.99 USD).