IMHO.

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam II

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam II 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 3 years older than Serious Sam II (2012). Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Serious Sam II (87.8% 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 Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Steam Leaderboards, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.1% positive across 2,396 reviews.

Choose Serious Sam II

Choose Serious Sam II if it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 3,329 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam II sit in Action 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

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam II — Steam metadata comparison
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter — Steam game coverSerious Sam HD: The First EncounterSerious Sam II — Steam game coverSerious Sam II
Released20092012
GenresAction, IndieAction, Indie
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Verified
Price14.99 USD9.99 USD
Steam reviews91.1% positive (2,396 reviews)87.8% positive (3,329 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-opMulti-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
DevelopersCroteamCroteam

Side by side

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam II — FAQ

Which is better, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Serious Sam II?
On Steam reviews Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher (91.1% positive) than Serious Sam II (87.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Serious Sam II first?
If you want chronology, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) came out before Serious Sam II (2012). 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 Serious Sam II 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 Serious Sam II 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; Serious Sam II ships Online Co-op, Co-op.