Choose S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Choose S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl if you want the LAN PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.2% positive across 15,019 reviews.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl vs SCP: Secret Laboratory
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and SCP: Secret Laboratory both land in Action, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) is 10 years older than SCP: Secret Laboratory (2017). S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl scores higher on Steam reviews (94.2% positive) than SCP: Secret Laboratory (92.2% 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 SCP: Secret Laboratory
Choose SCP: Secret Laboratory if you want an Indie, Free To Play, and Casual game with Valve Anti-Cheat enabled. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 90,600 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and SCP: Secret Laboratory sit in Action and RPG 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
 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl |  SCP: Secret Laboratory | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2007 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | Action, Indie, RPG, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 94.2% positive (15,019 reviews) | 92.2% positive (90,600 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | GSC Game World | Northwood Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) is 10 years older than SCP: Secret Laboratory (2017).
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl scores higher on Steam reviews (94.2% positive) than SCP: Secret Laboratory (92.2% positive).
- SCP: Secret Laboratory is free; S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is paid (19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is Deck Unsupported, SCP: Secret Laboratory is Deck Playable.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl vs SCP: Secret Laboratory — FAQ
- Which is better, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl or SCP: Secret Laboratory?
- On Steam reviews S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl scores higher (94.2% positive) than SCP: Secret Laboratory (92.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl or SCP: Secret Laboratory first?
- If you want chronology, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) came out before SCP: Secret Laboratory (2017). 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 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and SCP: Secret Laboratory similar?
- They overlap on Action, RPG 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.
- Is SCP: Secret Laboratory free?
- Yes — SCP: Secret Laboratory is a free-to-play Steam title. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is paid (19.99 USD).