Choose Squad
Choose Squad if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. 82,330 Steam reviews back the pick.
Squad vs Deadzone Blackout
Squad and Deadzone Blackout both land in Action, Strategy, Indie 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Squad (2020) is 4 years older than Deadzone Blackout (2024). Deadzone Blackout is free; Squad is paid (49.99 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 Deadzone Blackout
Choose Deadzone Blackout if you want a Free To Play, Casual, and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Deadzone Blackout launched in 2024.
Both Squad and Deadzone Blackout sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online 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
 Squad |  Deadzone Blackout | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer | Action, Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 49.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 84.1% positive (82,330 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Offworld | Hutstudious Company Irc |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Squad (2020) is 4 years older than Deadzone Blackout (2024).
- Deadzone Blackout is free; Squad is paid (49.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Squad is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Deadzone Blackout has no Deck rating yet.
Squad vs Deadzone Blackout — FAQ
- Should I play Squad or Deadzone Blackout first?
- If you want chronology, Squad (2020) came out before Deadzone Blackout (2024). 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 Squad and Deadzone Blackout similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, Indie 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 Squad and Deadzone Blackout have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Squad ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Deadzone Blackout ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Deadzone Blackout free?
- Yes — Deadzone Blackout is a free-to-play Steam title. Squad is paid (49.99 USD).
- Does Squad run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Squad is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Deadzone Blackout doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.