Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Prime Directive
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Prime Directive 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 14 years older than Prime Directive (2023). Prime Directive is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD). 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
 Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter |  Prime Directive | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.1% positive (2,396 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Croteam | Jonathan Stoffer |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) is 14 years older than Prime Directive (2023).
- Prime Directive is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter has co-op; Prime Directive does not.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Prime Directive has no Deck rating yet.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Prime Directive — FAQ
- Should I play Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Prime Directive first?
- If you want chronology, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) came out before Prime Directive (2023). 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 Prime Directive 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.
- Does Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Prime Directive doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.