IMHO.

DiRT 4 vs Dakar 18

DiRT 4 and Dakar 18 both land in Sports, Simulation, Racing 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 Sports, Simulation, Racing on Steam. DiRT 4 (2017) is 1 year older than Dakar 18 (2018). DiRT 4 scores higher on Steam reviews (84.6% positive) than Dakar 18 (65.2% 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 DiRT 4

Choose DiRT 4 if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 84.6% positive across 4,213 reviews.

Choose Dakar 18

Choose Dakar 18 if you want an Adventure game with Shared/Split Screen. Dakar 18 launched in 2018.

Both DiRT 4 and Dakar 18 sit in Sports, Simulation, and Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and 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

DiRT 4 vs Dakar 18 — Steam metadata comparison
DiRT 4 — Steam game coverDiRT 4Dakar 18 — Steam game coverDakar 18
Released20172018
GenresSports, Simulation, RacingSports, Adventure, Simulation, Racing
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Playable
PricePrice unknown29.99 USD
Steam reviews84.6% positive (4,213 reviews)65.2% positive (287 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerMulti-player
DevelopersCodemasters, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)Bigmoon Entertainment

Side by side

DiRT 4 vs Dakar 18 — FAQ

Which is better, DiRT 4 or Dakar 18?
On Steam reviews DiRT 4 scores higher (84.6% positive) than Dakar 18 (65.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, DiRT 4 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play DiRT 4 or Dakar 18 first?
If you want chronology, DiRT 4 (2017) came out before Dakar 18 (2018). 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 DiRT 4 and Dakar 18 similar?
They overlap on Sports, Simulation, Racing 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.