Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. 2,396 Steam reviews back the pick.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter 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 10 years older than Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter (2019). Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (91.1% 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 Classic: The Second Encounter
Choose Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter if you want the LAN PvP and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.8% positive across 572 reviews.
Both Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP, 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 |  Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.1% positive (2,396 reviews) | 94.8% positive (572 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Croteam | Croteam |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) is 10 years older than Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter (2019).
- Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (91.1% positive).
- Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter has no Deck rating yet.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter — FAQ
- Which is better, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter?
- On Steam reviews Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter scores higher (94.8% positive) than Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (91.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Serious Sam Classic: The Second 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 Classic: The Second Encounter first?
- If you want chronology, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) came out before Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter (2019). 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 Classic: The Second Encounter 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 Classic: The Second Encounter 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 Classic: The Second Encounter ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen 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. Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.