Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Choose Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.1% positive across 2,396 reviews.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam 3: BFE
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam 3: BFE 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 2 years older than Serious Sam 3: BFE (2011). Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Serious Sam 3: BFE (86% 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 3: BFE
Choose Serious Sam 3: BFE if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 5,833 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and Serious Sam 3: BFE sit in Action and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Steam Leaderboards, 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 3: BFE | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2011 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.1% positive (2,396 reviews) | 86% positive (5,833 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Croteam | Croteam |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) is 2 years older than Serious Sam 3: BFE (2011).
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Serious Sam 3: BFE (86% positive).
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Serious Sam 3: BFE (14.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter vs Serious Sam 3: BFE — FAQ
- Which is better, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter or Serious Sam 3: BFE?
- On Steam reviews Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter scores higher (91.1% positive) than Serious Sam 3: BFE (86% 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 3: BFE first?
- If you want chronology, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (2009) came out before Serious Sam 3: BFE (2011). 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 3: BFE 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 3: BFE 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 3: BFE ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.