Choose Natural Selection 2
Choose Natural Selection 2 if you want the Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. 5,398 Steam reviews back the pick.
Natural Selection 2 vs Project Zero
Natural Selection 2 and Project Zero both land in Action, Strategy, 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Natural Selection 2 (2012) is 12 years older than Project Zero (2024). Project Zero is free; Natural Selection 2 is paid (4.99 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 Project Zero
Choose Project Zero if you want a Free To Play, Casual, and Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Project Zero launched in 2024.
Both Natural Selection 2 and Project Zero sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie 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
 Natural Selection 2 |  Project Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie | Action, Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 84.9% positive (5,398 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Unknown Worlds Entertainment | BeginnerGames |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Natural Selection 2 (2012) is 12 years older than Project Zero (2024).
- Project Zero is free; Natural Selection 2 is paid (4.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Natural Selection 2 vs Project Zero — FAQ
- Should I play Natural Selection 2 or Project Zero first?
- If you want chronology, Natural Selection 2 (2012) came out before Project Zero (2024). 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 Natural Selection 2 and Project Zero similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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.
- Is Project Zero free?
- Yes — Project Zero is a free-to-play Steam title. Natural Selection 2 is paid (4.99 USD).