Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. 2,396 Steam reviews back the pick.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Forbidden Ingress
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Forbidden Ingress both land in Action, 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, Indie on Steam. Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) is 11 years older than Forbidden Ingress (2020). Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Forbidden Ingress (65.4% 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 Forbidden Ingress
Choose Forbidden Ingress if you want an Adventure and Massively Multiplayer experience. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Forbidden Ingress launched in 2020.
Both Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Forbidden Ingress sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter |  Forbidden Ingress | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.1% positive (2,396 reviews) | 65.4% positive (81 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Croteam | Strange_Indie_Team |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) is 11 years older than Forbidden Ingress (2020).
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Forbidden Ingress (65.4% positive).
- Forbidden Ingress is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Forbidden Ingress has no Deck rating yet.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Forbidden Ingress — FAQ
- Should I play Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Forbidden Ingress first?
- If you want chronology, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) came out before Forbidden Ingress (2020). 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 Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Forbidden Ingress similar?
- They overlap on Action, 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 Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Forbidden Ingress have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Forbidden Ingress ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Forbidden Ingress doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.