Choose Stardew Valley
Choose Stardew Valley if you want an Indie and RPG game with Online Co-op and LAN Co-op. 384,187 Steam reviews back the pick.
Stardew Valley vs Mayor of Defense
Stardew Valley and Mayor of Defense both land in Simulation 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 are Simulation games on Steam. Stardew Valley (2016) is 4 years older than Mayor of Defense (2020). Mayor of Defense is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Stardew Valley (4.99 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.
Which should you pick?
Choose Mayor of Defense
Choose Mayor of Defense if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Mayor of Defense launched in 2020.
Both Stardew Valley and Mayor of Defense sit in Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Stardew Valley |  Mayor of Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, RPG | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.9% positive (384,187 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | ConcernedApe | WINGLAY |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Stardew Valley (2016) is 4 years older than Mayor of Defense (2020).
- Mayor of Defense is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Stardew Valley (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Verified.
Stardew Valley vs Mayor of Defense — FAQ
- Should I play Stardew Valley or Mayor of Defense first?
- If you want chronology, Stardew Valley (2016) came out before Mayor of Defense (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 Stardew Valley and Mayor of Defense similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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 Stardew Valley and Mayor of Defense have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Stardew Valley ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Mayor of Defense ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.
- Do Stardew Valley and Mayor of Defense both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.