Choose Dead Space™ 2
Choose Dead Space™ 2 if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. 11,516 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dead Space™ 2 vs Return to Planet X
Dead Space™ 2 and Return to Planet X both land in Action, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Dead Space™ 2 (2011) is 7 years older than Return to Planet X (2018). Dead Space™ 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Return to Planet X (66.7% 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 Return to Planet X
Choose Return to Planet X if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Return to Planet X launched in 2018.
Both Dead Space™ 2 and Return to Planet X sit in Action and Adventure on Steam, 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
 Dead Space™ 2 |  Return to Planet X | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (11,516 reviews) | 66.7% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Visceral Games | Butterflyware |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Dead Space™ 2 (2011) is 7 years older than Return to Planet X (2018).
- Dead Space™ 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Return to Planet X (66.7% positive).
- Dead Space™ 2 is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Return to Planet X (3.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Dead Space™ 2 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Return to Planet X has no Deck rating yet.
Dead Space™ 2 vs Return to Planet X — FAQ
- Should I play Dead Space™ 2 or Return to Planet X first?
- If you want chronology, Dead Space™ 2 (2011) came out before Return to Planet X (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 Dead Space™ 2 and Return to Planet X similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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.
- Does Return to Planet X have multiplayer like Dead Space™ 2?
- No. Dead Space™ 2 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Return to Planet X is listed as single-player only.
- Does Dead Space™ 2 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dead Space™ 2 is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Return to Planet X doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.